Coming Home
by IgnitedHeart4292
Summary: What if the people of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World after defeating Grimmel the Grizzly and the dragon trappers. Join Hiccup's descendant Morek Ulfric Haddock as he discovers his place in the Hidden World and leads his people back to the Old World, reintroducing dragons to the world. Be warned, this story does contain spoilers for How To Train Your Dragon 3.
1. Chapter 1

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

Chapter 1: The Hidden Village

It had been six generations, almost two hundred years, since the Vikings of Berk came to the Hidden World after defeating Grimmel, the pale hunter, and the army of dragon trappers. They had been led there by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, one of the greatest chiefs the people of Berk ever knew.

Now, almost two hundred years after that monumental battle, the people of Berk have learned to live in the home of the dragons without disturbing the natural order of things. They stay in the shadows and let the dragons live as they wish. Only a few dragons ever seek out a bond from one of the Berkians, but when they do, it is a bond unlike any other.

Morek was sixteen when he was introduced to his dragon. Morek is the son of Hagrish, the great-great grandson of Hiccup. In the Berkian culture, it was necessary for the chief to be bonded to a dragon. Hagrish was bonded to a timberjack named Willowtooth, the two sharing a calm, contemplative nature.

Morek's mother, Taralin, was not bonded to a dragon at all. She was one of the Vikings who believed dragons and humans should live separately but equally, so she never allowed Willowtooth into the house, despite him wanting to play with her son.

On the day that Morek turned sixteen, he was approached by his mother and father.

"Son, we need to talk about your dragon." Hagrish said, Taralin frowning disapprovingly beside him, but not speaking up. Hagrish was a big man, but he wasn't a fighter. He preferred peaceful approaches to conflicts, rather than violence. His son didn't share this trait with him, as he was always ready for a fight.

Morek looked up at his father from where he sat eating some roasted fish. "Sure Dad, what's up?" He asked inquisitively, trying to hide his excitement from his mother's prying eyes. Morek had been looking forward to this day ever since he could remember. His leg twitched, and his blue eyes got a little bit wider as he looked up at his father.

"You're sixteen now, and that means you're of age." Hagrish said, winking so Taralin couldn't see. "Which means you're going to have to get a dragon of your own." Taralin scowled and walked away, probably seeking comfort with her sewing kit.

Hagrish smiled and gestured for Morek to follow him outside. Morek crammed the rest of the fish into his mouth with gusto, before following his father to the front of their home and out the door.

The Hidden World was an amazing place, and where the Berkians had built their new home was no different. Most of the houses, including Morek's, were built suspended between the massive stalagmites of rock that jutted from the floor of the Hidden World. The houses still resembled the old Viking huts of their ancestors, just with a few adjustments. The homes were coated in bioluminescent algae to mimic the coloring of the rock which they were built upon. This camouflaged their homes from the dragons, who welcomed the Berkians as guests, but they were not viewed as equals. The Berkians knew their place and did whatever they could to leave as little a trace as possible on the dragons' home.

Morek stuck close to his father, taking in every detail around them, including the dragons who flew overhead. _Any one of those could want to bond with me. _He thought excitedly to himself. Hagrish's cloak of shed timberjack scales flapped in the wind as Willowtooth swooped down from one of the stalagmites to greet them. Morek chuckled as the normally docile timberjack flew excitedly around them.

"Hey there big guy." Morek said happily, holding out a hand for Willowtooth. The dark brown timberjack landed on the stalagmite beside him and leaned down to accept Morek's offering of scratches. "You're ready for the big day too, huh?" Morek asked, earning a coo from the large dragon beside him.

Ever since he was a boy, Morek had been very close to dragons, even going so far as to sneak into the nursery to play with the hatchlings. His mother scolded him when she found out and told him never to go back there. Now, Morek works as a trainer, teaching children and adults alike how to live beside dragons.

Morek looked over Willowtooth's shoulder at the glowing village. The village was centered in a large circle of stalagmites, and in the center of these stalagmites was the Great Hall, the meeting place for all the village's councilmen and a place for Berkians to socialize. The Great Hall was a large domed structure that links to other, smaller buildings through a series of tunnels graciously provided by whispering deaths and other boulder class dragons and their riders. Some of these buildings included the nursery, council chamber, the blacksmith stall, and the Elder Hall, a place for the village's elders to conduct meetings.

Morek was excited to finally meet the elders. He had never been to the Elder Hall, but he knew what was going to happen. He would be presented to the elders, who would ask him questions and give him tests. If he pleased the elders, he would then be passed on to the council, who would assign him a species of dragon to attempt to bond with based on the reports of the elders.

Morek took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. Hagrish began descending the spiral staircase on the stalagmite, and Morek quickly followed him down to the entrance of the Great Hall.

The Great Hall's entrance was a pair of massive wooden doors carved with a pair of twisting dragons. The interior of the Great Hall was even more impressive, lit by glowing crystals suspended from the ceiling and crowded with Vikings bustling back and forth, going about their daily duties.

Morek smiled when he saw the children sitting next to the wall, listening to Grindel, one of the elders, tell the story of the battle between Hiccup, Toothless, and the Red Death. That story was one of Morek's favorites, he enjoyed imagining the speed that a night fury possessed, whipping through the clouds like a black bolt of lightning.

Morek's mind began to wander as he thought about the alpha species in the Hidden World. Even though bewilderbeast numbers had been improving, they had yet to try and challenge the night furies for dominance.

Morek could tell that a confrontation was inevitable though, he had seen bewilderbeasts from afar and he knew that they wouldn't wait too much longer to reclaim their throne as the alpha species. So far, the night furies had seemed to keep the larger dragon species away from the village to ensure the Berkians' safety.

Morek then began thinking about night furies as he walked through the Great Hall. He had only ever caught a few brief glimpses of them, but he knew what they looked like due to the drawings on the walls of the Great Hall, and the drawings by the few elders who had seen one up close. He knew that there weren't very many, they were vastly outnumbered by their female counterparts, the light furies, but he did know that their numbers were on the rise.

Morek shook his head, now was not the time to be daydreaming about dragons. He was here to see the elders, and that was what he was going to do. Hagrish directed him through the Great Hall, and many of the Vikings only gave Morek quick glances before moving on.

Morek was somewhat of an anomaly in the village. He spent more time with dragons than with people and never participated in parties or social events. In Morek's point of view, he saw people as boring and repetitive, which alienated him from the rest of the Vikings in the village and made it hard for him to make friends.

Morek's distance from people was a big concern for the council and the elders, who had all consulted with Hagrish about it. On multiple occasions, the chief had considered passing his responsibilities on to his sister's oldest son, Kadil, who was much more social with his companions.

Kadil was a bright young man who enjoyed spending time with the elders and the council, and he seemed to be everything Morek was not. He was patient, easygoing, and had a wickedly sharp wit. He had defeated many of the council members in the old game maces and talons and was on a path that would lead him to his own seat on the council in the future.

Despite the council's requests, Hagrish kept refusing their pleas. He knew that there was a spark in his son, and all he needed to do was fan the flames before it would grow into a flame that could act as a beacon to the people of Berk.

Hagrish hoped that getting a dragon would help his son learn the amount of responsibility that would be passed on to him when he stepped down as chief.

Morek walked through the Great Hall excitedly, barely giving anybody any mind as he made his way to one of the tables where his friend, Even, sat feeding a gronckle.

"Hey, Even, how is Burple doing?" Morek asked, looking at the small gronckle and her human companion.

Even turned and smiled happily at Morek. Even was a rather chubby kid with curly brown hair and a soft voice. When he was a kid, he had been picked on and teased mercilessly by the other kids, until Morek stepped in and stopped all that. Morek taught Even not to let people walk all over him, and ever since that day, the two had been good friends.

"Hey Morek, Burple is doing great! I brought her to the nursery, and they patched her leg right up." Even said, pointing at the bandages on the little blue gronckle's left foreleg.

Even met Burple when she fell on top of him after eating too many rocks and growing drowsy. He ended up in the nursery with some bruised ribs, and Burple, the little sweetheart, stayed by his side the whole time until he felt better, licking his hand and keeping him entertained. Burple got her name from how she will burp in somebody's face if she likes them, which she had done to Even numerous times in the nursery.

Burple bounced around happily, enjoying Even's attention. She had gotten into a fight with a young deadly nadder and got a spike caught in her leg. Luckily, the nursery deals with wounds like that all the time, and the only thing that would remain is a scar.

"I'm glad she showed up when she did," Morek said. "otherwise we'd need a new delivery boy." He finished jokingly, lightly punching Even's arm.

Even worked for the blacksmith stall, delivering supplies and equipment across the village with the help of his little blue companion. This led to him hearing about everything that happened in the village, which he would relay to Morek.

"So, you ready for the big day?" Even asked, little Burple curling up beside him for one of her usual naps.

Morek looked at him with a cocky grin. "Aren't I always?" He asked, holding his arms out.

Hagrish walked over behind Morek, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Son, the elders are ready for you." Hagrish said, looking down at Morek with a stern look in his eyes. It was a warning look, telling him to behave himself in front of the elders, because if he doesn't, it could mean he'll never bond with a dragon.

Morek nodded his head, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He nodded goodbye to Even and accompanied his father across the Great Hall, towards the dark hallway that led to the Elder's hall. Hagrish stopped by the entrance and motioned for Morek to enter.

"I'll wait for you out here with the council, make us proud son." Hagrish said, opening his arms to Morek. He looked up at his father and smiled, giving him a hug.

"Don't worry Dad, I will." Morek said, leaving the hug and giving his father one last look before descending into the dark hallway.

The hallway was wide, but dimly lit, the greatest source of light coming from behind Morek. He continued down the corridor, keeping one hand on the wall at all times. He walked in darkness for a moment before seeing a light ahead of him. He picked up his pace, and before long he found himself standing in a large, oval shaped room covered in darkness.

At the far end of the room, Morek could see torches on the wall, illuminating seven hooded figures. Upon closer inspection, Morek realized that those weren't torches, but seven dragons standing behind the figures, holding their flames in their mouths.

"Morek Ulfric Haddock, step forward." A voice echoed through the chamber, but Morek couldn't tell which of the figures had spoken. He followed the request, stepping into the circle of light in the center of the chamber, presenting himself to the elders.

"As of today, you are considered a man, are you willing to accept the responsibility that comes with that title?" A different voice said, higher pitched than the first, but scratchier. Morek straightened his shoulders and looked at the middle figure.

"Yes, I am." He said, holding his voice and gaze steady. He took a deep breath and took some steps forward. "Elders, I have waited a long time for this day, and I stand before you today not just to prove that I have come of age, but that I am ready to take on the responsibility of bonding with a dragon." He said in as calm a voice as he could muster.

The elders remained silent for a moment, before one by one, they left their stands and disappeared into the darkness, until only one figure and one dragon remained.

"I was hoping you would say something like that Morek." The final figure said, and Morek's eyes widened when he realized who it was. His grandfather, the old chief Erik, reached up a shriveled hand and pulled the hood down off his face.

Morek took a step back in shock. "Grandfather." He said softly. Erik smiled down at him, and his light fury, Talina, extinguished her fire and disappeared in the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

Chapter 2: The Trial

Morek looked up at his grandfather, Erik, in shock. He was supposed to be out studying the Hidden World, not here giving him a trial for his dragon.

"What are you doing here Grandpa?" Morek asked, baffled. Erik chuckled, and his light fury Talina appeared out of the shadows behind Morek, giving him a nudge.

"I'm here to train you, my boy. I received a terror-mail from your father asking me to come help with your trial, and from the looks of things, it is a good thing I did come." Erik said, Talina continuing to nudge Morek forward.

Morek complied with Talina's insistent nudging and walked toward his grandfather. Once his eyes adjusted, Morek saw a doorway hidden in the darkness behind the elders' stands.

"Where are we going?" Morek asked, tilting his head at his grandfather. Erik did not reply, only walking ahead in the darkness and gesturing for Morek to follow him. Morek complied, walking unsteadily in the darkness, only able to see Talina beside him due to her white scales.

The darkness in the tunnel eventually grew brighter, until Morek saw a chamber at the end of the hallway. He walked forward, momentarily blinded by the light. After his eyes adjusted, Morek's jaw dropped at what he saw inside the chamber.

Suits of dragon scales lined the walls of the chamber, six of them in all, three on each side. One final suit stood alone in the middle of the chamber, it's coloring as black as night.

"Welcome to the hall of chiefs, son." Erik said, gesturing at all the suits. "Each of these suits belonged to one of our chiefs, starting with this one." He said, gently laying a hand on the black suit. "I'm pretty sure you can guess who's armor this was."

Morek walked forward and studied the armor, walking around it and studying the artificial wings protruding from the back. "Chief Hiccup's." He said softly, earning a nod from his grandfather.

"We keep this room a secret, only future and past chiefs are allowed in here. We've made it a tradition to have each chief create a suit of armor from their dragon's shed scales, so that they and their dragon are bonded in more than just mind, but body too." Erik explained, walking over to a white suit of armor.

"This was mine, back when I was chief." He said, turning to look at Morek. "This is a little unorthodox, but I believe I should lend you my armor for your trial." Erik explained.

Morek's brow furrowed. "Why? What am I going to do?" He asked. Erik began taking the suit of armor off its pedestal.

"We'll announce it soon, but for now, put this on. It'll be a little tight in the arms and legs, but you should be able to manage it." Erik said, passing Morek some of the armor pieces. "I'm going to go tell the council about your trial, wait until I come and get you."

Erik left with Talina following him. Morek looked down at the armor in his arms and shrugged. "Well, white isn't really my color…" He said to himself, looking around the room. His eyes landed on the black armor and he smiled. "Now that's more my style."

A few minutes later, Erik walked back down the tunnel, wondering if what he was about to put Morek through was the right thing to do. Talina, picking up on his nervousness, nudged his shoulder, cooing gently.

"It's alright girl, we'll make sure he's alright." Erik said, patting her forehead gently. He entered the chamber and was stunned by what he saw. For a moment he thought he was staring at chief Hiccup, but the blue eyes and slightly thicker limbs gave it away as Morek standing in the center of the room.

"Morek, you shouldn't be wearing that!" Erik said, realizing what Morek had done. Morek was wearing chief Hiccup's armor, and it made him look like a warrior. However, nobody had worn that armor since chief Hiccup had set it on that stand.

"I'm sorry grandpa, I just thought it would look better on me than the white armor. Do you want me to put it back?" Morek asked, reaching for the straps. Erik gave him another look, judging from the armor, Morek was more muscular than Hiccup had been, but he stood about the same height as his ancestor had.  
Erik narrowed his eyes at his grandson. "No, keep it on. I think it suits you." Erik said, giving his beard a thoughtful stroke. If Morek wore that armor out in front of the village, it might help them to see him as the next chief, and not just a boy.

"Alright, come on. We've got an announcement to make." Erik said, gesturing for Morek to follow him out of the room and back into the Elder's Hall. From there, they took another path that led into the Great Hall from a different area. Along this path, Morek could hear voices echoing from the Great Hall.

"What are they talking about in there?" Morek asked his grandfather, who looked back over his shoulder at him.

"They're talking about you, of course. The elders have told the council what they think, but I'll be the one announcing your trial." Erik said, stopping at the pair of large doors that led into the Great Hall. "Wait here."

Erik walked through the doors, closing them before anybody could see through to Morek. The entire village seemed to be out there, judging from the sounds coming from the Hall. Morek paced silently, listening for his queue. He couldn't hear what his grandfather was saying, but he knew that he was talking.

After a lengthy speech, the doors in front of Morek started to part. He squinted slightly but stood proud when he saw the people and dragons crowded in the Great Hall. Erik was standing in front of the crowd, pointing towards Morek and gesturing for him to come closer.

"My grandson, Morek Ulfric Haddock, will be joining me on an expedition into the Hidden World to find his dragon, and we will not return until we have found it." Erik said, and Morek had to take a moment to look at him with disbelieving eyes. The Hidden World was a dangerous place, even for a Viking that was bonded to a dragon.

The crowd remained silent, until a single person began clapping. "Good on you Morek!" Kadil, Morek's older cousin, cheered. The rest of the crowd followed suit. Morek looked out in the crowd and smiled, but he noticed that Even wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"We will leave tomorrow morning, but for now, let us feast!" Erik said, and the crowd erupted into even more cheers. Everybody began moving toward the kitchens, bustling and shoving to get to their food. Morek continued looking through the crowd for his friend, but he couldn't find him or his little blue companion.

He walked out of the Hall and looked out at the many pathways leading throughout the village and saw Even walking towards his home.

"Even!" Morek yelled, running down that path. Even stopped and turned to look at him.

"Oh, Morek! Congratulations! I heard the news. What kind of dragon are you hoping to get?" Even asked, but Morek didn't take the bait.

"What were you doing out here?" He asked, looking around them. There wasn't anybody from the village out there, but Morek knew his friend, he wouldn't leave free food so easily.

Even sighed. "This plan that your grandpa has is suicide, I mean, there are so many dangers out there, and you don't even have a dragon." He said, sagging his shoulders.

Morek smirked and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You worry too much." He said. "Come on, there's too much food for everyone to finish it." He joked.

Even huffed, but followed him, signaling Burple to follow them. The little blue love ball followed them, her tail waving happily.

Morek spent the entire rest of the evening eating and asking his grandfather questions about the Hidden World. He mostly got vague answers that didn't give him any more knowledge about the Hidden World than when he started.

That night, Morek headed to his home, walking alone up the spiraling stairway. He looked around at the glowing forest of stalagmites around him and took a moment to take a deep breath, harmonizing with the beautiful landscape around him.

His father had always refused to take him past the boundaries of the stalagmite forest, explaining that the world was too dangerous for a little boy. So, Morek had taken it upon himself to learn about the dragons' world. He had climbed every stalagmite and watched every species of dragon in the forest.

Mostly, deadly nadders, gronckles, and terrible terrors lived in these rock formations, but there was also the occasional monstrous nightmare and changewing, but they never stayed for long. After doing some research on these types of dragons, Morek had decided that none of those dragons, as cool as they were, would be right for him.

Morek walked back into his house, noticing that his mother and father weren't home, he decided to go up to his room to get some rest. He had to admit, he was excited. When he got to his room, he jumped up and down in excitement, letting his cool demeanor disappear.

"Yes! I'm finally getting my own dragon!" He shouted, thankful that nobody could hear him. He had waited for this day for sixteen years, and he wasn't going to mess up his chance now. If he was going into the rest of the Hidden World, he would have to prepare himself, starting with his armor.

Morek took of the black scaled suit and set it on his bed. "Now, how can I improve you…" He thought. He didn't have too many tools at his disposal, but he could at least try something.

After looking over the suit, Morek noticed something. The suit had amazing gliding abilities, but it didn't have a way to get up to any takeoff points. After looking through everything at his disposal, Morek found the old climbing picks he uses to climb the stalagmites during his adventures.

After comparing the design of the suit to the climbing picks, Morek noticed that the arms had room for holsters big enough to house the climbing picks.

Morek stayed up all night working on the suit, only falling asleep just before his grandfather arrived at the house.

Erik walked into the house, looking around at its cozy interior with a disapproving grimace. "I've never been one for confined spaces." He muttered to himself. Talina poked her head into the house, cooing questioningly at her partner.

Erik walked up the stairs to Morek's room and found him snoozing on his desk next to a redesigned suit. Erik raised an eyebrow at the suit and decided to take a closer look at the armor and was quite impressed with what he saw. The suit had new holsters in the arms that housed two climbing picks, and the feet now had extra spikes that could grip into grooves in the rocks that Morek might end up climbing.

"Clever boy." Erik said, looking down at Morek. He was sound asleep, but that wouldn't last long. "Wake up, son, it's time to get going. I want to leave before the fanfare gets here." He said, giving Morek a rough shake.

Morek stirred gloomily, looking up at his grandfather through tired eyes. "Huh?" He muttered, before realizing what day it was and jumping to the ready, grabbing the armor and his pack.

"Come on Grandpa, let's get going!" Morek said, almost falling down the stairs as he hurried to don the armor. He rushed to the door, opening it to reveal his father.

"Whoa there, son. Going away before saying goodbye?" Hagrish asked, holding his arms open for his son.

"Sorry Dad, I'm just excited." Morek said, giving his father a hug, before looking around for his mother.

"Your mother is in the Hall with her friends, chatting about how proud she is of her son." Hagrish said with a knowing grin. His wife loved to boast about how well her son worked with dragons, despite not liking dragons, or animals in general, herself. Hagrish suspected that she just liked making the other mothers in the village jealous.

"Alright you two, knock it off. If the boy's going to get his dragon, we'll need to head out as soon as possible." Erik said with a playful punch to Morek's shoulder. "You ready for some real flying?" He asked his grandson, gesturing to Talina, who jumped around them playfully.

"You bet!" Morek said, smiling as he put on his helmet. Hagrish put a steadying hand on his shoulder, his face filling with concern.

"Now remember son, the dragons out there are different from the ones here in the stalagmite forest. Avoid them at all costs, and if you do run into a hostile dragon, remember what we've taught you." Hagrish said, giving his son's shoulder a shake. Morek nodded, before walking over to Talina.

"You ready girl?" He asked, and Talina cooed in response, kneeling so Morek and Erik could climb on.

"Take care of him, father." Hagrish said to Erik, giving Talina space for her takeoff. Erik laughed and leaned down to clasp his son's hand.

"Give me some credit, I raised you well enough, didn't I?" He said jokingly, and Hagrish chuckled lightly. They both released their grasps on each other, and Erik patted Talina's shoulder, signaling for her to take off.

Talina leaped into the air, her wings pumping powerfully to gain altitude, before leveling out a few hundred feet off the ground. Morek's heart soared. He was here, he was on his way to finding a dragon all his own! He restrained himself from giving a happy yell, for fear of disturbing any dragons that they flew past.

Erik turned and looked at Morek. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked his grandson, and Morek had to nod silently. They were flying past the outer boundary of the stalagmite forest, and towards the Fireworm Caverns, which were decorated with thousands of the tiny flaming dragons. Morek watched as all the little dragons took flight as they approached, staring in awe at how they lit the caverns with their own light.

After flying through the cloud of small dragons, they started nearing two giant pillars of crystal that formed an arch, giant rock formations that resembled mushrooms poked out of the crystals.

"Once we get past those crystals, we'll have to be really careful." Erik explained, slowing Talina down to a gentle glide. "The alphas live in that cavern. Every dragon in the Hidden World makes routine stops there, if your dragon's out there, that's where we'll find it."

Erik turned and signaled Talina to fly close to the bottom of the cavern. She complied, zigzagging between the mushroom-like rock formations.

Morek looked up after they passed the crystal archway and was stunned. There were hundreds, no, thousands of dragons flying towards what looked like a giant glowing crystal. From the looks of things, that was where Erik planned to take them.

"Hold on." Erik said, tapping Talina's shoulder to tell her to speed up. She pumped her wings and took them closer to the crystal.

"I call this place the Alpha's Court." Erik said, looking back and smiling at Morek. "One of the perks of being out here by yourself, you get to name everything."

Talina took them down into a small crevice, where most of the bigger dragons wouldn't be able to find them. They both got off Talina, but she stayed close, keeping her eyes on the giant flock of dragons. Morek moved to take off his helmet, but Erik stopped him.

"Keep that helmet on boy, take it off and the rumblehorns and nadders will smell you a mile away. That armor makes you smell like one of them, so don't take it off no matter what, especially not this close to the Alpha's nest." Erik whispered. Morek nodded in understanding, checking all the straps on his armor to make sure he was completely covered.

After they both checked their armor, Erik gestured for the group to move closer. They moved through the crevice, making sure to stop moving whenever a dragon flew overhead. Morek's heart was racing, he could barely keep himself still.

The dragons down in the clearing seemed to be waiting for something, some even flying up to the upper crystal before diving back down. Morek looked over at his grandfather, who had since dawned his own armor.

"They're waiting for the Alpha, he usually comes out once a day to check his territory." Erik explained, barely audible through his helmet. "I call him Thunderheart."

Morek nodded, looking back at the large crystal, he thought he saw a flash of black scales, but he was too far away to tell for sure.

"Can we get closer?" He asked Erik, looking over at him. Erik looked between him and the nest a few times, thinking to himself.

"Alright, but we'll need to be on Talina, we won't be able to do it without her there to keep other dragons away." Erik said, turning and walking back to his dragon. Talina gave out a chortle, and Morek heard the other dragons in the clearing making similar sounds. Erik turned to look up at the nest.

"He's coming! Quick, get on!" He whispered hurriedly, climbing onto Talina's back. Morek did the same, hopping on just before the light fury took off towards the crystal. The two humans bent close to her back, trying to camouflage themselves against her.

Morek looked up at the crystal and saw a black dragon standing at the edge, he looked down at the crowd of dragons with a stern gaze, flanked by two other black figures. He opened his wings and took to the air, the flock immediately taking a place behind him. Talina, being faster than most of the other dragons, took a place behind Thunderheart's rear guards.

After looking closer at Thunderheart, Morek realized that he was definitely worthy of being called an alpha. The large night fury was packed with sleek, lean muscle. He could easily break the sound barrier if he tried, but the way he was flying now was a mere jog in comparison. His two guards were smaller, but no less impressive.

The guard to the left flew right behind Thunderheart and was similar in speed. Morek guessed that this dragon was probably one of Thunderheart's relatives, a brother or son.

The night fury to the right was more eager to fly. Like the other two, he was fast, but he was deciding to use that speed. He flew in great spirals around the flock, but he never flew ahead of Thunderheart, preferring to fly beside him or around him. Thunderheart sent a few warning glances his way, but he never did anything to stop the younger night fury, even giving him a huff, like a chuckle.

Morek kept watching the younger night fury, amazed by how fast the dragon could fly. It even made a whistling sound when it flew past them.

Erik chuckled from where he sat. "That one is Thunderheart's kid. He loves flying, as you can tell." He said to Morek, pointing out the fancy maneuvers that the young night fury was performing.

Morek nodded, tearing his gaze away from the night fury to look at the other two. While Thunderheart seemed to ignore him, the other night fury was scowling. During one of the young night fury's corkscrews he got too close and clipped the left guard night fury's wing, the left guard night fury roared and slashed at the younger one, causing chaos.

Thunderheart roared, and the flock scattered in confusion. Morek lost sight of the night furies, but he wasn't concerned about that now, he was only concerned about holding on to Talina. Erik looked around frantically, looking for a way out. He looked up and saw an opening, near the ceiling.

"There! Go Talina!" Erik roared, urging the light fury forward. She clawed through the air, ducking and dipping to avoid slamming into the other dragons. Morek started getting dizzy, he could barely hold on.

They were almost through the flock of dragons. "We're almost there! Just hold on!" Erik yelled, barely audible over the screeching of the other dragons. Morek nodded, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black shape screaming toward them.

"Look out!" Morek tried to say, but it was too late. The night fury slammed into them at full speed, throwing Talina into a spiraling fall. Morek lost his grip and slipped off, freefalling.

His eyes widened as he realized there was no dragon below him. In a panic, he pulled the wings on his suit and started to glide, looking for a place to land. His eyes scanned the area frantically, but he could barely see anything passed the spiraling wall of dragons.

After what felt like forever, Morek saw an outcropping of rock that looked safe enough to land on. He pulled his arms into his side to dive down to it. He was almost there when he was hit by another dragon, throwing him around like a ragdoll.

He managed to level out, but he could tell something was bruised. He dived down to the outcropping, pulling out the wings at the last second to slow his fall. He landed on the rock and fell into a roll, ending up on his side. His head hurt, and he wanted to fall asleep, but he knew that if he fell asleep here a dragon would find him.

Morek frantically looked around for a place to hide, before seeing a small outcrop of rock that was covered in foliage. The vines from the plant draped down, creating a curtain that blocked the base of the rock from view. It wasn't a crevice, but it was the best option he had right now.

Morek scrambled to his feet, losing his balance and falling on his knees. Pain shot up his legs, but he didn't have time for that. He crawled under the curtain of vines, and only when he was sure he was covered did he finally feel safe enough to sleep.

Head and knees hurting, Morek curled up in a ball, looking around at the slightest sound. The sounds from the flock had died down. After what felt like hours, the missed hours of sleep started to catch up to him, and his eyes started to drift shut. After a few minutes, he fell into a restless, uncomfortable sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

Chapter 3: The Bond

Morek stirred from his restless, uncomfortable sleep. The sound of flapping wings and scratching talons just outside the curtain of vines quickly snapped him back to reality, and all the events of the day rushed back to him.

He looked around, making sure the vines were completely covering him, before relaxing and taking a breath. He listened to the sounds outside, noticing how relatively quiet it was. The silence did not last though, as the sound of flapping wings outside startled him.

He slightly parted the vines, looking out from under the outcropping. A large black dragon was sitting with its back to him, but what startled Morek was what he saw on the other side of the dragon. A large gathering of night furies and their counterparts, the light furies, were sitting on the walls of a crystalline coliseum-like structure, and Morek realized where he was.

He was in the Alpha's nest, and the big night fury in front of him was Thunderheart, keeping a steady eye on something in the middle of the nest. Morek tried to turn his head to look around the night fury's shoulder, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't see what Thunderheart was watching.

The sound of scraping claws and hissing caught Morek's attention. He recognized the sound of the hissing, it was Talina! Morek inched out of his hiding spot, trying as hard as he could to not make a sound. He poked his head out from the vines and saw that Talina was standing in the middle of the nest, crouched low over a smaller white figure.

Morek's eyes widened, Talina was guarding his grandfather, who lay grabbing his leg as if he were injured. Morek saw a trail of blood leading from his grandfather to a small puddle of red.

Morek was startled out of staring when Thunderheart stood, the other furies in the nest stopping to watch him intently. He looked around at them, before motioning for his two guards, the night furies from before, to follow him. They dropped from their seats in the top row, flanking their leader.

Thunderheart looked at the left night fury, warbling an instruction to him. The night fury nodded, walking around to flank Talina, who hissed warningly at him. Thunderheart then turned to look at the troublemaking night fury, warbling similarly at him.

The young night fury nodded at his father, before flying up above Talina and hovering there. Thunderheart looked at them both before centering his attention on Talina, with a single huff, the nest exploded with action.

The rule follower roared and pounced on Talina from behind, wrapping her wings and talons in a bear hug. The troublemaker looked at Thunderheart, but stopped, narrowing his eyes towards Morek, whose own eyes widened.

The troublemaker roared and dived at Morek, who tried to scramble out of the way, but it was too late. Morek was tackled to the ground, a paw slamming down on his chest to hold him steady.

"No, Morek!" He heard Erik shout, before he was cut off by a bark from Thunderheart. Talina screeched and squirmed, attempting to free herself from her captor, but to no avail. Thunderheart roared at her, and she squeaked in submission.

Thunderheart signaled for the troublemaker to bring Morek closer. The night fury complied, grabbing Morek by the shoulder. From his position, Morek could see a patch of grey scales on the night fury's chest that resembled a star. The night fury dragged Morek towards the center, stopping about ten feet from Erik.

Thunderheart made his way towards Erik, placing a paw on his chest, taking the other and swiping his helmet off his head. The helmet landed by Morek's feet, but he was more occupied by Erik's bloodied face. He looked up at Morek with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, as Thunderheart's maw started to glow blue, a whistling sound filling the air.

"No, Grandpa!" Morek screamed, looking up at the night fury holding him. "Please! Let me go!" He shouted at the dragon. The night fury looked shocked, just enough that Morek could slip out of his arms.

Time seemed to stop, and Morek didn't have enough time to even consider his actions. He sprinted towards his grandfather, hearing the whistling, seeing the glow, and pulling his arm back. He roared, jumping forward. His arm tensed, his legs pushed him as hard as they could.

Without realizing what he was doing, Morek slammed his fist into the Alpha's face, hard enough that he felt his knuckles split. Thunderheart reared back, stunned but not harmed, the fire dying in his mouth. The other night furies roared, and Morek saw multiple glowing blue spots as they readied their plasma blasts.

Despite the fear rising in his chest, Morek stood between them and his grandfather, staring straight at Thunderheart. The Alpha reared up, staring angrily at Morek. The black dragon roared, but rather than feel terrified, Morek gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and roared back.

The other night furies stopped their blasts, and for a moment Morek was confused, before he saw the troublemaker out of the corner of his eye. The night fury was walking forward, warbling at Thunderheart.

The Alpha looked at his son in confusion, before warbling back, looking between him and the human impostor that had challenged him. Troublemaker stepped between him and Morek, warbling and cooing some more. Thunderheart narrowed his eyes before walking around and moving slowly towards Morek.

Morek stood his ground, keeping his eyes locked on the big night fury. Thunderheart sniffed the air around Morek before leaning down and sniffing at Erik. Morek felt like he was missing something, before realizing that his hair was in his eyes. His helmet was missing, that's why Thunderheart could pick up his scent.

Thunderheart pondered to himself before looking back at his son, cooing questioningly. The young night fury nodded, moving to stand beside his father facing the humans. Thunderheart looked between the young night fury and Morek, before nodding and stepping back.

Morek looked questioningly at the night fury, before he started moving towards Morek. The young night fury walked right up to Morek, before leaning back and sitting on his haunches, seeming to wait for something.

Morek narrowed his eyes at the night fury, watching him closely. The dragon looked down at Morek's hand and back to his face, chortling impatiently. Morek also looked down at his hand. He looked back up at the night fury, raising a shaky hand upwards.

His palm outstretched, Morek closed his eyes, the memory of his ancestor's story flashing through his mind. He waited there for a moment, feeling suspended in time, before he felt something warm press itself to his palm.

Morek opened his eyes to see the night fury with its muzzle pressed to his hand. His eyes widened, and his grandfather coughed from below him.

"Son, I believe you've found your dragon." Erik said weakly, coughing up some blood and spitting it out on the rock. Morek kneeled down beside him, looking up at the night fury.

"He needs help." Morek said, looking to Thunderheart. "Please." He said with pleading eyes. Thunderheart looked back to his son, seeming to be worried about something. The night fury nodded, stepping towards his father and pressing their foreheads together. Thunderheart pulled away shortly afterwards, warbling at the rule follower, who released Talina.

Talina hissed at him and rushed to Erik's side, cooing frantically. Morek nodded and grabbed his grandfather, lifting him into Talina's saddle. He got on behind Erik and looked at the night fury.

"Thank you." He said, before urging Talina into the air. She began flying out of the nest, the other furies letting them pass.

Meanwhile, back at the nest, the troublemaker walked to the edge of the stone outcropping, noticing a black helmet with his human's scent on it. He picked it up in his mouth and looked out at the light fury that was flying away.

A chortle sounded from behind the young night fury, prompting him to turn around. Thunderheart stood behind him, looking proud at his son. He walked up to stand behind the smaller night fury. He nudged his son forward, cooing gently. The young night fury nodded, rearing up to give his father a hug, a behavior that they had learned from their ancestor, before taking off to follow his human.

Thunderheart looked on proudly, before taking a deep breath and roaring a goodbye to his oldest child. He turned back into the nest and laid down, taking a well-deserved nap.

Morek was frantically urging Talina forward, trying to assess what was wrong with his grandfather. Erik had passed out, and Morek could tell he was losing a lot of blood. Up ahead, Morek saw the crystal arch that they had passed through to get here.

Morek heard flapping above them and turned to see the night fury following them. He smiled inwardly.

"I guess you'll be sticking with us now, huh?" He asked the dragon, who gave a muffled chortle in response. Morek smiled at the night fury, earning a signature toothless grin in return.

They passed the crystal arches and the Fireworm Caverns before entering the Stalagmite Forest, the guards posted at the exit to the Caverns quickly flew to the group's aid.

One rider, sitting astride a blue nadder, called out to Morek. "Are you alright?" She asked. Morek looked over at her and shook his head.

"My grandfather's injured, it looks bad." He called back. The other rider and his raincutter flew ahead to warn the village.

After a little while, Morek could see the welcoming shapes of the village buildings in the distance. He patted Talina's shoulder, signaling for her to land. She dived down swiftly but landed as gently as she could. A crowd of healers quickly gathered, a crowd of onlookers gathering behind them.

The healers quickly took Erik away, shoving people out of their way to get to the nursery. Morek watched as Talina took flight above Erik, keeping a watchful eye on him.

Morek sighed in relief, from what he had seen, his grandfather wouldn't die, but he would be forbidden from flying for some time.

The crowd of people soon turned their attention to the young man, and the black dragon that was standing behind him. Many of the eyes in the crowd widened, and Morek had to think why that was for a second, before turning around.

His head was immediately enveloped in something cold, wet, and slimy. He heard the crowd react with some laughter and some disgust. The laughter was mainly coming from the children.

"Gah, gross!" He yelled, pulling his helmet off his head. He looked up at the night fury, who chortled down at him. He tried to act stern, but he couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing, giving the night fury a pat on the nose.

The crowd parted, and Hagrish and Taralin stepped forward. Hagrish looked surprised, watching the night fury with wide eyes. Taralin, on the other hand, rushed forward, enveloping her son in a bone crushing hug.

"Morek! Oh, thank the gods you're safe! Are you hurt? What happened?" She began rambling. Hagrish laughed from beside her.

"Dear, I'm sure he can't effectively answer your questions if his head is being crushed." He pointed out, a muffled sound of agreement coming from Morek.

Taralin huffed and relinquished her son, giving him room to breathe. He took a deep breath, sitting down beside the night fury.

He started telling the story, from the part where he and Erik passed through the arch, to where he punched Thunderheart to protect his grandfather.

"Then, this hero here." Morek said, patting the night fury's shoulder. "He seemed to talk Thunderheart out of killing me. Then he just kind of chose me." He said, looking at the night fury.

Hagrish smiled down at his son. To earn a night fury's respect was no easy task, and from the sound of things, Morek had earned it in a rather spectacular fashion.

"Son, you need to name him. You can't just keep calling him night fury." Hagrish pointed out. Taralin was folding her arms beside him, not happy about having another dragon in the family.

Morek nodded, looking at the night fury sitting beside him. He was big, not Thunderheart big but he could get there one day if he was fed well, he might even grow bigger than his father. His eyes were dragged down to the star-shaped mark on his chest, and then he had an idea.

"Hm, I think he looks like a Shadestar to me." Morek said, smiling. The night fury tilted his head at the word. He seemed to ponder it for a moment before giving a nod of approval.

"You like the sound of that?" Morek asked his new friend for life, and the newly dubbed Shadestar nodded. He rumbled deep in his chest, seeming to purr at the new name.

"I think it's a good name." Hagrish said with an approving smile. "Now, you should take your new friend down to the nursery, they should check him for diseases and such. You should check in there too, it sounds like you took a pretty nasty fall." Hagrish said.

Morek nodded and placed a hand on Shadestar's shoulder. He stood up shakily, his legs aching in protest.

"Come on bud, I'll show you around." Morek said, leading his dragon down the path to the Great Hall. Along the way, he pointed out different buildings to Shadestar, stating their names and what their purposes were.

Shadestar kept his nose in the air the whole way, sniffing deeply to get acclimated to his new environment. He would occasionally fly up to a perching dragon and sniff them, exchanging chirps and warbles with them. Morek smiled, his new dragon seemed to like other dragons just as much as Morek did.

However far Shadestar went, he always made a hasty return to check up on Morek, sniffing him and making sure he was alright before running ahead to explore some more.

They had made it to the front of the Great Hall when Morek heard somebody running down the path behind him. He turned to see Even running forward, out of breath.

"Morek! I heard the news, how in the gods' good names did you get a night fury? And the alpha's son of all things?!" Even said, jealousy evident in his voice.

Shadestar dropped from the sky above Morek, landing between him and Even. He looked at Even curiously before sniffing him. Morek smirked as Burple ran down the path, her tongue sticking out and her bumpy tail wagging happily.

Burple stopped beside Even, giving the new dragon a sniff. The two dragons warbled and chirped, before Burple got into a play crouch. Shadestar chortled happily before running off down the path, the little blue gronckle chasing after him.

"He certainly seems energetic. What's his name?" Even said. Morek nodded before answering.

"I'm calling him Shadestar. He has a patch of lighter scales on his chest that look like a star." Morek explained, and Even nodded.

"Well, I'm glad you're safe. I've got to go make some deliveries." Even said, before whistling for Burple to follow him into the Hall.

Morek smiled as Burple gave Shadestar a signature burp before running off to catch up with her human. Shadestar scrunched up his nose but seemed to find it amusing. He walked back over to Morek and gave him a questioning coo.

Morek smiled at his new companion. "That was Burple." He explained, before starting to walk into the Hall. When he pushed the doors open, he was greeted with a rush of Vikings clapping him on the back and complimenting him.

So many people were talking that he couldn't even tell what they were saying. He pushed his way through the crowd, thanking people and answering any questions he could. Shadestar navigated around the crowd of Vikings to the other side of the Hall, where they had left their food unattended.

Morek caught a glimpse of Shadestar scoffing down some chicken and fish off a plate and rushed over.

"Shadestar, we don't eat people's food." He scolded the night fury, who gave him an apologetic look. Shadestar's eyes rolled back into his head and his chest compressed as he regurgitated the food back onto the plate.

Morek sighed, but he couldn't deny that Shadestar was just doing what he thought would make it up to him. He gestured for Shadestar to follow him down the tunnel that led to the nursery, leaving the Vikings behind them in the Hall.

After a walk through the tunnel, they emerged in a building that Morek hadn't seen for a long time. The nursery had two sections, one for Vikings and one for dragons. The section for Vikings was a large, spacious room that was filled with soft beds for the sick and injured to rest on.

The dragon section resembled a giant bee hive, with rooms carved into the walls for dragons of all shapes and sizes to rest. The nursery was also the place where baby dragons were taken care of until they were old enough to fly on their own, at which time they were either released into the wild or found a human to bond with.

The nursery was filled with healers and dragon care specialists. Morek walked into the dragon section of the nursery first. There were little pools along the walkway, where little seashockers and shockjaws played in the water.

A girl was crouching next to one of the pools, her long brown hair held back with a scarf on her head. She was cooing down at the baby seashockers that were squawking and squealing for her attention.

"Now, everybody wait your turn, you'll all get some fish, don't worry." She said in a sweet, tender voice.

Morek was taken aback. He had never met this girl before, but she was beautiful, her face was lightly freckled, and her hair cascaded down her back in light rolling waves. She turned to look at Morek, and her chocolatey brown eyes locked on his.

"Can I help you?" She asked, seeming annoyed that somebody was interrupting her time with the baby dragons next to her. She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing on Morek.

No matter what he did, Morek couldn't get himself to say anything. The girl raised a questioning eyebrow at him before rolling her eyes and returning to the baby dragons.

"I came to get my dragon inspected." Morek finally managed to say, the girl perking up at the sound of a dragon. She hopped up and turned to look at him.

"Oh? What kind of…" She started to say, before her eyes locked on Shadestar. Her eyes widened and she squealed. "A night fury!" She said, walking past Morek as if he wasn't there.

"Hello there. Ooh you're pretty." She said in admiration, rubbing the scales on Shadestar's neck. He cooed happily, laying down to give her better access.

Morek was confused, one moment she was sassy and stern, the next she was acting as if his dragon were her child.

"Um, is he looking okay, miss…?" He asked, wondering what her name was. She stopped cooing and loving on Shadestar just long enough to give him a cursory look.

"Helia." She replied, turning to love on Shadestar some more. She started checking inside Shadestar's mouth and checking his eyes.

"They're blue, that's odd for a night fury. You're a pretty baby, aren't you?" She asked lovingly, jealousy starting to rise in Morek's chest.

Helia finally finished checking up on Shadestar and turned to look at Morek. Her eyes narrowed and she started circling Morek.

"You'll do." She said. Morek gave her a look of confusion.

"What?" He asked, tilting his head down at her. She rolled her eyes at him.

"You seem good enough for my pretty baby over there." She said, pointing at Shadestar, who lay purring on the ground in a ball.

"But be warned, if anything ever happens to my baby, my dragon Heartbreaker and I will find you." She said, giving Morek a stern glance and pointing at him with a finger. Morek looked around the nursery, wondering where the dragon in question was.

Helia snapped her fingers, and a purple stormcutter dropped from the ceiling. The stormcutter's wings faded from blue into purple, darkening to black near the tips. Heartbreaker moved closer and picked up Morek, throwing him across the nursery and into one of the beds in the human section of the nursery. Helia gave Morek a smirk when she saw his stunned gaze staring at her from the bed. She turned around and began working with the baby dragons again, cooing gently down at them.

Morek looked from her to Shadestar as he walked over to him. Shadestar was looking rather smug about that entire interaction. Morek narrowed his eyes at Shadestar.

"Don't let all those compliments get to your head pal." He said warningly, poking Shadestar's nose. Shadestar chirped, giving Morek a knowing look.

Morek couldn't help but smile, laying down on his bed. He talked to the healers, who bandaged his hand and his knees, but told him that he would be fine for day to day activities. He thanked the healers and headed out of the nursery, smiling at Helia as he left, who waved him off, but gave him a smile in return.

"Alright bud, now we need to get you a saddle." Morek said, smiling over his shoulder at Shadestar. Shadestar cooed back at him, tilting his head questioningly up at him. Morek led Shadestar through the Great Hall and into the blacksmith's stall.

The blacksmith, an old, grizzled man named Markus, squinted over at Morek.

"About time you showed up boy. I heard you got a night fury, so I already got to work on the saddle." He said, pointing his red-hot tongs at Morek. "It'll be ready tomorrow." The man said. "For now, you should go home and get some rest. You've had a long day."

Morek nodded, thanking the man before leaving the stall, Shadestar close behind him. The two new friends walked out of the Hall and back towards Morek's home. Morek smiled as Shadestar continued to explore his new environment.

They arrived at his house, Morek quickly opening the door and ushering Shadestar inside. The two quickly climbed the stairs to Morek's room, Morek continually checking to see if his mother was around. He smiled to himself when they got into his room.

"Alright bud, welcome home." Morek said, gesturing around the room. Shadestar began exploring while Morek took off his armor. He set it on the desk, putting on his normal clothes before crawling into bed. Shadestar yawned, slinking his way onto the bed around Morek.

The bed creaked in protest, but it held firm. Morek smiled, rubbing Shadestar's belly until he fell into a deep, comforting sleep. Shadestar quickly joined him, the two sharing dreams of flying endlessly together through the Hidden World.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

Chapter 4: The First Flight

Morek awoke to a dull rambling sound outside of his home. He opened his eyes slowly, looking over to see Shadestar looking questioningly down the stairs. Morek stood and put his new armor on, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

He walked over to the stairs, looking around to make sure his mother had left. After a quick sweep of the room, he decided it was safe, motioning for Shadestar to follow him down the stairs. The night fury cooed in acknowledgement, following Morek down the stairs.

When he got to the door, Morek could hear a crowd of people and dragons outside. He looked back at Shadestar and gestured for him to follow. Shadestar nodded and the two walked out the door.

"Congratulations Morek!" The entire village shouted, the dragons roaring and breathing fire into the air. Morek was stunned, all the village's dragon riders were there, even Helia and her stormcutter Heartbreaker. She smirked and waved at him.

Morek smiled and waved back at her. Markus, the blacksmith, started bustling through the crowd to get to Morek.

"Here you go. A new night fury saddle." The grizzled man said with pride, holding out the saddle for Morek to inspect.

The saddle was black to match Shadestar's scales, and the leather was soft and malleable, perfect for a riding saddle. Morek could tell it was built for speed and comfort, as it was sleek and thin. It had two rings that would loop around Shadestar's legs to anchor the saddle in place, and two handles so Morek could hold on in flight, but other than that, it was not too clunky.

Morek took the saddle in his hands and held it out so Shadestar could inspect it. Shadestar gave the saddle a sniff, before turning to the side, looking over his shoulder at Morek with his blue eyes and nodding.

Morek nodded as well, and with Markus' help, he put the saddle on Shadestar, making sure it was tight but not uncomfortable. Shadestar gave the saddle a few shakes and jumps before deciding it was good enough for him.

Morek turned to look at the crowd of people, who were also getting ready to mount their dragons. He turned to look at Shadestar, who was gesturing at the saddle on his back with the night fury's signature toothless grin.

Morek nodded, hopping into the saddle and adjusting slightly to get comfortable. When he found the perfect spot, he looked down at Markus.

"Thank you, Markus, this saddle is great." He said sincerely. Markus scoffed.

"Everything I make is great boy, don't forget that." He said pridefully, before stepping back to give Morek some room. Even walked forward with Burple beside him.

"Hey Morek, be careful up there." Even warned, Burple being too small now for him to fly with her.

Helia, riding on the back of Heartbreaker, moved through the crowd to Morek's side. She looked down at Even and nodded.

"Hello Even, how is Burple doing?" She asked, Even nodding and smiling.

"She's doing great, thanks for patching up her leg." He replied, Morek narrowing his eyes at them.

"Wait, you two know each other?" He asked, Helia giving him a deadpan look.

"Well, of course. Who do you think checks up on Burple and everybody else's dragons?" She asks, rolling her eyes at him. Even nodded, smiling at his chance to pick on Morek.

"Man, you really are oblivious, aren't you?" He asked Morek, barely keeping in a chuckle. Morek narrowed his eyes at him, and he immediately changed the topic.

"Anyway, Helia, this is Morek, and Morek, this is Helia." He said, introducing the two formally.

Morek looked at Helia and smiled, standing up in the saddle to hold his hand out to her. She raised her brow at him but took his hand. He smiled and kissed it, before she quickly pulled it back with an embarrassed squeak.

"W-why did you do that?" She asked, her face turning red. Morek smiled and winked.

"Because it's good manners for a man to kiss a beautiful lady's hand when they meet." He teased, and she gave him a flustered, angry look, urging Heartbreaker toward him.

Morek cackled and urged Shadestar into the air, and the night fury roared in delight as they took to the air, the dragon riders of the village following them.

Morek quickly forgot about the stormcutter that was chasing him, the rush of flying throwing all other thoughts out of his mind.

It was amazing. Morek had flown before, but it was nothing like this. Knowing that he and his dragon were working together to fly where they want was amazing. Shadestar responded to even the slightest movement of his leg and leaning turned the night fury any direction he wanted to go.

After flying for a moment, Morek heard Heartbreaker gaining on them. He turned and saw Helia on top of her dragon, smiling as they closed the gap. They were flying towards the Fireworm Caverns, and Morek had an idea.

"Come on bud, I want to see what you can really do." Morek said, leaning down to talk into Shadestar's ear. He looked back at his rider and grinned, splitting the spines on his back into two rows. The night fury pumped his wings, flying up into the darkness of the caverns.

Morek looked down to see the glowing stormcutter and his rider stop and hover, looking around for their prey. He smiled to himself and whispered his plan to Shadestar, who chortled quietly, enjoying the idea.

Shadestar landed on a stalactite, his claws digging into the rock to hold him in place. Morek released his grip on the handle bars and slid off Shadestar's back, spreading the suit's makeshift wings as he glided silently down to Heartbreaker.

The stormcutter didn't see him, too preoccupied with looking out in the shadows. Morek smiled to himself, pulling up at just the last second to land on the saddle behind Helia. Luckily for him, the sound of Heartbreaker's four wings flapping masked his landing.

Morek sat down on the saddle behind Helia, looking up in the darkness to make sure Shadestar was ready. The two blue eyes floating in the darkness nodded down at him, and he smirked, nodding back.

"Hm, nice view." He said, earning a startled yelp from Helia as she turned around to look at him. He cackled and slid off the side of Heartbreaker, Shadestar diving past the stormcutter to catch Morek on his back.

The two flew in circles around Helia and Heartbreaker before flying back towards the village.

"I believe that's two points me, zero you." Morek called to Helia, who folded her arms angrily.

"I'll show you!" She called back, a small smile gracing her features as she flew after Morek and Shadestar. He smiled and told Shadestar to slow down.

Helia caught up to them, glaring at Morek. He gave her a big grin, and her face reddened again.

"That's not fair." She said, and he tilted his head in confusion.

"What did you say?" He asked, but she shook her head, not answering him.

"You know, you got really lucky with a night fury." Helia said, changing the subject. "They are very pretty, and they shoot plasma!" She said excitedly, her eyes gleaming. Morek felt his heart melt. She seemed to love dragons just as much as he did.

"I know, I almost got shot by one." He said, and she looked up at him, her eyes widening.

"What happened?" She asked, curious. He told her the entire story, and she listened to every word. The dragons flew in long circles through the Stalagmite Forest, weaving in and out of the massive pillars of rock.

"Wait, you punched Thunderheart?" She asked, her eyes widening. Morek nodded.

"Yeah, and he would have killed me if Shadestar here hadn't stepped in." He said, patting Shadestar's shoulder. The night fury cooed back up at his rider, happy to have helped.

Helia smiled and looked between the two. "You two are a good match. He seems to like you." She said, her face forming a soft smile. Morek couldn't help but stare back at her. He couldn't place it, but something about her just made it hard for him to stop thinking about her. He shook his head and continued flying.

"So, Helia, you never told me how you met Heartbreaker." He said, and Helia gave her stormcutter a fond look.

"Well, I raised him. I was there when he hatched. He was the only male in an entire clutch of females, and they all teased him relentlessly. I took care of him and made sure he got enough food. When the day came for them to leave, he was the only one who stayed. No matter what I tried to do to return him to the wild, he would show up perched on my roof a day later." She said, leaning down and giving Heartbreaker a warm hug.

Morek smiled and tilted his head. "How did he get his name?" He asked.

Helia looked up and smiled at him. "He got his name because it broke my heart every time I tried to put him back in the wild. He's also quite good with lady stormcutters." She said with a smirk. Heartbreaker puffed out his chest proudly.

"He has a mate out in the wild that's expecting a clutch." She explained. "I'm going to be an aunty!" She squealed happily, and Morek's heart melted just a little more.

"You know, if you ever need any help in the nursery, Shadestar and I would be glad to help out." He said, Shadestar cooing in approval. Helia looked at him with happy eyes and smiled.

"I'd like that." She said, before looking back at the Great Hall.

"I've got to get going, but would you like to come help out in the nursery tomorrow?" She asked, looking hopefully at Morek. He smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to." He said, giving her a wave as she flew off towards the Hall. He smiled and watched her fly away for a moment before looking back down at Shadestar. The night fury was giving him a knowing look, and when Morek looked down at him he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, shut up." Morek said, shoving his snout away. Shadestar warbled teasingly and continued flying, a knowing smile on his face.

The two flew for what felt like hours around the Stalagmite forest, but unknown to them, Erik watched from outside the Great Hall, leaning heavily on Talina. He smiled proudly as he watched them grow more at ease in the air.

He looked at Talina and gestured for her to go bring them over. She nodded and took off, Erik leaning back on his cane.

Morek was thinking about the flight and how boring it was getting when he heard flapping beside them. He looked over to see Talina flying beside them. She warbled and gestured towards the Great Hall with her head. Morek nodded, and he and Shadestar flew down after her.

Erik smiled and waved at them. Shadestar landed beside Talina, before crouching down to allow Morek off his back. He walked over to his grandfather, smiling and giving him a hug.

"I'm glad you're alright." Morek said, letting go of Erik. Erik smiled at him.

"That's because of you." He replied, smiling at his grandson. "That was some pretty incredible stuff you did there. It'll go down in the history books if I have anything to say about."

Morek smiled at him, chuckling to himself. "Yeah, but he wasn't even phased by it. That was my strongest punch and all it did was buy us time." He replied truthfully.

"I can't believe they injured you like that, usually night furies won't engage in a fight unless they're attacked first." Morek said, looking down at the bandages covering his grandfather. Erik shook his head.

"Follow me, I have something I want to show you." Erik said, walking towards his home on the outskirts of the village. Morek tilted his head but followed him without questions.

Shadestar followed them from the air, weaving through the stalagmites with the skill only a night fury could match.

They arrived at Erik's home, which was the size of a shack, and walked inside. The interior of his home was dark, but that was quickly remedied with a lit candle. Morek gasped when he saw what filled Erik's home.

Maps and charts covered the walls of the small building, and Morek had to look a second time to make sure he knew what they were maps of. They were maps of the Hidden World, everywhere for miles and miles out in undiscovered terrain.

Morek turned to look at Erik, his eyes and his mouth wide. Erik smiled and gestured towards the entire shack.

"My boy. This is my inheritance for you. If I can't fly anymore, then I want you to continue my legacy. Explore the Hidden World, teach our people about it. We've been down here, living in the dark for so long. The children deserve to know where they are in our world… and we need to learn of the Old World too. That is what I charge you with, Morek Ulfric Haddock, I charge you with leading our people throughout the Old and Hidden Worlds." Erik said, looking his grandson dead in the eyes and giving him a reassuring smile.

"I only hope I'm there when you rise to the top." Erik said, smiling at his grandson. "You go ahead and study these charts, I'm going back to my bed." He said, walking out of the shack. Morek watched him go, thinking about how old his grandfather looked now.

Morek walked back inside the shack, looking around for the chart of the Stalagmite Forest. After he found it, he started to study the charts around it. First, the Fireworm Caverns, which he found out were the home of a Fireworm Queen.

He moved from the Fireworm Queen to the Alpha's Court. From there, he saw that there were multiple other caverns that had yet to be named. They were rough sketches, but he could tell that there was a lot that his grandfather had been very busy since he relinquished his place as Chief.

Looking over all the maps, Morek had an idea. He searched through the desk to find a blank book. From there, he wrote down all the main chambers that Erik had discovered, and from there he attached other sheets of paper to each page, creating a mobile version of everything his grandfather discovered.

After what seemed like hours of writing and drawing, Morek took another look at the Stalagmite Forest map. It was highly detailed, but something was off. There weren't any notes on anything to the east of the Forest.

Morek narrowed his eyes at the map. He quickly wrote down a note in his notebook.

"Explore east." He wrote in the back of the notebook, before closing it and blowing out the candle.

The following day, Morek awoke with a smile on his face. He had plans, the first being seeing the council about his grandfather's notes, the next being to talk to Helia about them. The final plan was to go to the Alpha's Court and see the entrances to the other chambers for himself. Finally, he would end the day in the nursery, helping out Helia.

Morek smiled, standing up and getting himself ready for the day. He put on his normal clothes, deciding to give his armor a break, and headed towards the council chamber. When he entered the Great Hall, he found Helia and Even sitting at a table eating breakfast.

Helia saw him out of the corner of her eye and smiled, waving him over. Morek smiled and joined them. Shadestar continued towards the nursery, where he smelled Burple and Heartbreaker playing together.

"So, what are your plans for the day?" Morek asked the two of them. Even shrugged, but Helia smiled and looked at Morek.

"I'm going to be spending my day in the nursery, when are you planning on joining me?" She asked. Morek smiled at her.

"In a few hours, I need to talk to the council about something. Hey, Even. I think Burple's getting big enough to fly with you now." Morek said, Even smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, she's been growing pretty quickly. I'll have to talk to Markus about getting a saddle for her." Even said, looking happy at the thought of finally flying with Burple. Morek nodded, looking at Helia.

"Is the council available?" Morek asked. Helia shook her head.

"They're talking with your cousin right now. He had some big proposition for them, but from the sound of things, it's not going well for him. My father especially doesn't like the sound of it." She said. Morek tilted his head at her.

"Wait, your father is a councilman?" He asked, wondering who it was. She nodded.

"Yeah. Brok Tormund." Helia said, causing Morek's eyes to widen.

Morek had quite the history with the Tormund patriarch. Brok was one of the councilmen that had advised against Morek getting a dragon so early, and he was also one of the men that constantly tried to stop Morek from adventuring in the Stalagmite Forest. From Brok's point of view, like some of the other Vikings, dragons and humans could only truly be at peace if they were to remain separate.

Morek disagreed strongly with that statement. No dragon was truly evil, they were just creatures trying to survive in the world, just like people.

"He talks about you a lot, you know." Helia said, snapping Morek out of his thoughts. He looked at her with a questioning stare.

"He's worried that you'll do something stupid as chief. He especially thinks you're stubborn, hotheaded, and reckless. It reminds him of himself when he was young." She said, smiling.

"I think he'll come around." Morek said, pulling out his notebook and setting it on the desk. "Especially after he sees this."

Even and Helia tilted their heads at the notebook, before Helia grabbed it and flipped it open. Her eyes widened and she looked up at Morek. Even took the notebook and looked through it as well. He looked up at Morek with a shocked face.

"You aren't planning what I think you're planning, are you?" Helia said, looking at the notebook. Morek smiled and nodded.

"I'm going to ask the council for permission to further explore the Hidden World. We've been living in the shadows for long enough. I believe we can finally step out of them if we know more about our world." Morek said, grabbing the notebook and putting it away.

The doors to the council chamber swung open, and Morek's cousin Kadil stormed out. He looked angry, and Morek stood up to walk over to him.

"Hello Kadil, how did it go?" He asked him. Kadil looked over at him and sighed.

"I was proposing that we start increasing the number of guards at the entrance to the Fireworm Caverns. I have a few friends that would be willing to help out, but they said that it would just rile up the dragons if we had more people out there." Kadil said. Morek patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to them for you." He said, and Kadil's features brightened.

"Thank you Morek, I would appreciate that." He said, before walking out of the Great Hall.

Morek turned and looked at the council chamber, taking a calming breath and turning to look at Helia and Even. They both smiled reassuringly at him, and he smiled back.

Taking one more calming breath, he walked into the council's chamber.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

**Author's Note: I have been reading all the amazing reviews that you guys have been posting. I would like to say thank you all for the inspiration. With that, I give you Chapter Five. Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: The Expeditionary Force

Morek entered the large council chamber at the back of the Great Hall, taking calming breaths. He looked at the raised seats where the twenty council members sat. The las seat was for his father, who stopped talking and raised a questioning brow when he saw his son walk into the room.

Hagrish raised his hand, stopping all the talks between the councilors. Morek stood in the center of the room, the large doors closing behind him. He looked at the councilors to gauge their reaction to him being there.

Many of the councilors were looking at him with mild curiosity, while a small amount of them were glaring at him, Helia's father being one of them. Morek sighed and held his head up high.

"Councilors, father. I have a proposition that I believe will greatly benefit the village." He said, drawing all their attention to him. The council room quieted down, and all eyes turned towards him.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the council," Morek said, making up his speech on the spot. "I'm curious, are you aware of the latent fear of dragons that living in their shadows has instilled in the children of this village? Even in some of the adults?" He asked.

The councilors all looked at him questioningly, but he continued before they could interrupt him. "I'm proposing that we begin an expeditionary force to discover, document, and teach about the Hidden World." He said. "I believe that we can rise from the shadows of fear and enter the light of knowledge. If we can start learning about the dragons with whom we share this mysterious, wonderful world that we and the dragons call home."

The councilors seemed to be digesting his words well. "I would like to ask a question." Councilor Tormund said, staring at Morek with cold, calculating eyes.

"What happens to the people on the expeditions when they are attacked? We could lose a lot of valuable people in those expeditions." Tormund said, looking around at his fellow councilors. "We can't afford to send people out there just because one boy decides he wants to go exploring."

Morek fumed at being called a boy, but he pushed it down and tried to keep his cool. He looked up at Councilor Tormund and came up with a response.

"Councilor Tormund, I believe that we should send out expeditions only after we train people for it. I am very aware of the danger out there; my own grandfather is an example of what can happen out there. I want to send explorers out there so that we can avoid incidents like that." Morek said, keeping eye contact with Councilor Tormund.

"We can't always stay here, just like when Chief Hiccup relocated Berk to the Hidden World, we will have to start expanding." He said, turning and addressing the entire council.

"We are Vikings, we don't hide from a challenge! We face it head on and overcome it! We have been hiding in the shadows for long enough! I say we get out there and do what Chief Hiccup tried to do! Live as equals with dragons. We don't have to fear them, and they don't have to fear us. Ladies and gentlemen of the council, I propose that we make Chief Hiccup's dream of creating a world where dragons and Vikings live in peace a reality. That is what I propose." Morek said, looking to the council members.

Chief Hagrish stood up from his chair. "Thank you Morek, the council will take some time to consider your words. You are dismissed. We will send a messenger when we have decided on a course of action." He said.

Morek nodded to his father and exited the council chamber. When he got back out, Even and Helia had left to finish their duties for the day. He decided to go back home and study his grandfather's notes more thoroughly.

When Morek got home, he found Shadestar sitting in front of the house. Shadestar cooed as Morek got near, and Morek gave his friend a pat on the nose before opening the door.

"Don't you bring that dragon in here Morek." Taralin said from her chair by the fireplace. Morek looked back at Shadestar with an apologetic look and gestured for him to sit on the roof. Shadestar nodded and leaped up onto the roof.

Taralin sighed, looking at Morek with concerned eyes. "Morek, can we talk?" She asked him. Morek nodded and walked over, standing in front of his mother.

"Do you know why I don't like dragons in our home?" She asked her son, and Morek shook his head. Come to think of it, he had no idea why his mother didn't like dragons.

Taralin sighed. "It's because they are troublesome and dangerous. Your father almost had his arm taken off by Willowtooth. I'm just saying that animals are dangerous, and that I don't want you bringing one inside and destroying our home." She said.

Morek frowned and looked down at his mother. She was staring at a scar on her wrist.

"It was from a dragon, wasn't it?" Morek asked, his mother nodding sadly.

"I once loved dragons, just like you. My father had a monstrous nightmare, and I loved to play with it. One day, we were flying, when suddenly, the dragon started to go wild. He snapped at me, and his eyes were feral and remorseless as he tore out a chunk of my arm." She said, holding up her arm and looking at the jagged scar.

"I trusted that dragon, but after that day, I just couldn't bring myself to trust another dragon again. I know I can't stop you, but I am going to warn you. Those animals are dangerous. It doesn't make me any less proud that you've bonded to one of your own." She said, trying to reassure Morek.

"All I'm saying is that I want you to be safe and happy." Taralin finished, giving Morek a hug. Morek smiled and hugged her back.

"I'm not going to get hurt by Shadestar mom, you can count on him." He said and walked up to his room.

Taralin watched him go and sighed. She loved her son, but deep down she knew that someday, he would find himself in a difficult situation that a dragon wouldn't be able to help him get out of.

Morek got up to his room and opened the hatch that led up to the roof. He slipped out and joined Shadestar on the roof. Shadestar curled up in a ball, giving Morek a good place to rest.

The two spent an hour up on the roof, Shadestar getting some rest, and Morek reading the notes from his grandfather, adding his own in small scribbles on the sides of the pages. After a while, Morek grew bored, looking up at the Forest. He had yet to explore the entire boundaries of the Stalagmite Forest, and his grandfather had some notes about areas where the caverns deepened and widened out into new environments.

Morek stood up and stretched, thinking to himself about the Expeditionary Force that he was trying to put together. He already knew who the first two members were going to be. Even and Helia seemed like the perfect candidates. They were smart, resourceful, and they all got along.

Morek nodded to himself and headed back down into his room. He put his armor on, popping back up to the roof and waking up Shadestar.

"You ready for some more flying bud?" He asked, Shadestar's ears perking up at the sound of flying. The night fury bounced upright, immediately ready for flying as he panted happily and wagged his tail.

Morek laughed and hopped on to Shadestar's back, getting himself used to the saddle again. He patted Shadestar's shoulder and they took off, reveling in the freedom of flight.

The two flew around the village a few times, Morek mapping out the layout of the terrain in his notebook. "Alright Shadestar, let's go see Helia." He said, smiling as they descended towards the nursery.

Helia was working with some baby nadders when Morek and Shadestar landed in the nursery. She turned and smiled at them, standing up and walking over. She tilted her head when she saw Morek's armor, her eyes narrowing.

"What's that for?" She asked as Morek hopped off Shadestar's back. Shadestar walked beside Morek as he moved towards Helia. He took off his helmet and held it under his arm, smiling at her.

"Well, I figured I would need it." Morek said. Helia laughed and covered her mouth.

"Baby dragons aren't that scary." She said, still trying to hold in her laughter. Morek laughed with her, noticing how all the baby dragons poked their heads out at her when she laughed. He shook his head and wiped a tear out of his eye.

"No, I have a proposition for you. After I help you in the nursery, I want to take you and Even on a trip out into the Alpha's Court." Morek said, stopping Helia's laughter in its tracks. She looked at him with wide, unbelieving eyes for a moment before speaking.

"You're joking, right?" She asked, looking a little shocked. Morek smirked and shook his head.

"With Shadestar by our side, we should be safe there. Isn't that right bud?" He asked. Shadestar nodded and jumped around the nursery, inspecting all the tiny dragons that he found there. Helia smiled at him and led Morek through the nursery.

"We have the hatchlings, the shortwings, and by the time they become broadwings, they are able to live in the wild." Helia explained. She then went into detail on how the food for the dragons was delivered.

The village gathered fish from underground rivers, where they started breeding areas for the fish. This in turn led to them finding new areas to feed and water their chickens and sheep, since the water was fresh water.

Morek smiled as she started naming each of the babies, going down the rows from nightmares and gronckles, all the way to tidal class dragons like seashockers. He was surprised by the number of dragons that Helia took care of. Some other nursery workers helped her out, but Helia spent the most time working on the baby dragons.

"So you spend most of your time here?" He asked, smiling as a baby hotburple curled up in his arms. Helia nodded and took the sleeping baby, setting him back in his nest.

"Yeah, I just can't stand by knowing that baby dragons need someone to take care of them. They're also so adorable!" She said, cooing down at a baby nadder and a baby scuttleclaw as they wrestled on the floor.

The two spent a couple hours working in the nursery, cleaning the dragon pens and feeding the babies. After the second hour, a messenger came from the Great Hall.

"Morek, the council wants to see you." The man said. Morek nodded and stood, handing Helia the baby raincutter that he had been cleaning.

In the council chamber, Morek eagerly awaited the council's ruling on his proposal. The council emerged from their conference room and took their seats, Hagrish remained standing as Erik entered from the conference room as well. Morek gave him a questioning look, but just earned a smirk and a thumbs up from the old man.

"Morek, the council has talked about your proposition, and we have reached an agreement." Hagrish said. "We have decided to make you the field team leader of the new Expeditionary Force."

Morek's eyes widened and he smiled. This was even better than he had been hoping for, but judging from the look on his father's face, he wasn't done speaking.

"We have appointed Erik as the commander of the Force. He will give you permission to lead expeditions, but only if he gives the order will you leave the Stalagmite Forest. You will not go anywhere without his knowing or consent, understood?" Hagrish asked. Morek nodded, completely at peace with those terms if he got to go explore.

"Now, we give you the floor. You'll need a team for your missions, and we want your insight as to who you want with you when you go out there." Hagrish continued.

"First, I'll need Even. He has the technical knowhow to work with our equipment and keep it in good condition." Morek said, earning a nod and a knowing look from some of the council members. Hagrish leaned over and gestured for the messenger to retrieve Even.

"Second, I would like to nominate Helia Tormund." Morek said. Councilor Tormund immediately stood and glared down at him.

"No, my daughter will not be going out there and risking her life for some thrill-seeking." He snarled, Morek glaring back at him.

"She's the perfect candidate for our missions. She knows dragons like she knows how to walk. We may need her to judge whether it's safe to approach certain situations." Morek pleaded, looking at other members of the council.

"She won't be going." Councilor Tormund snarled. "If an idiot boy like you thinks he'll take my daughter out there to get her killed, you are greatly mistaken." He said.

Morek almost exploded, but he was stopped by the doors behind him opening. He turned to see his mother, looking to all the world like a Valkyrie come to claim somebody's soul, glaring at Councilor Tormund.

"If my son thinks it is a good idea to have your daughter out in the field, Tormund, I think it would be wise to listen to him." She said sweetly, almost too sweetly. She walked towards the middle of the room, giving Tormund a cool glare the entire way.

"Councilor Tormund, are you thinking about the greater good of the village or your own selfish works?" Taralin asked, putting her hands on her hips. "As a councilor, it is your duty to look after the village first, not your daughter." She said.

Councilor Tormund looked stunned. The other councilors nodded and murmured to each other in agreement. Hagrish walked forward and nodded at his wife thankfully.

"All in favor of accepting Helia Tormund as a member of the Expeditionary Force?" Hagrish asked, raising his hand. Many of the councilors raised their hands, each of them earning a glare from Tormund.

"All in favor of declining Helia's acceptance into the Expeditionary Force?" Taralin said, glaring at Tormund. He raised his hand, but he was one of the few who did so.

"Then it is settled. Helia Tormund and Even Borek will become the first Lieutenants in the Expeditionary Force. Council dismissed, we will convene in one hour to induct Helia and Even into the Force." Hagrish said, the council quickly dispersing.

Morek turned and dashed out of the room, heading for the nursery. Helia was still there, playing with some dragons. Shadestar bounded over and gave Morek a messy lick.

"Gah, bud. That's gross." Morek smiled, petting the night fury. Shadestar warbled happily at him, and Helia smiled.

"So, what did the council say?" She asked, shooing away the baby dragons. Morek smiled and didn't say anything.

"You'll find out in one hour, but right now, Shadestar and I have something to do. We'll see you in a bit." He said, hopping into the saddle. Helia gave him a questioning look and stood up.

"Where are you going?" She asked, earning a happy smile from Morek.

"I'm going to go talk to my grandfather. I'll be back in a bit." He said, he and Shadestar taking off. As they did, a messenger came in the nursery, asking for Helia to go meet the council.

Morek guided Shadestar over to Erik's home, marveling at his luck. Not even one week after getting a dragon, he had already started an Expeditionary Force. As they neared the shack, Morek noticed how Shadestar's scales lit up in the bioluminescent glow of the Forest. His scales glowed an electric blue color on the edges of his wings and down his back in striped patterns, like arcs of lightning from a skrill's electric blast.

The two landed to find Erik sitting out in front of the shack, smiling at them. Morek hopped off Shadestar and took off his helmet, smiling at his grandfather.

"You've done well son, but I need to warn you. Take it slow with Even and Helia. They've never been outside the Forest. They, as well as you, are inexperienced." Erik said, and Morek nodded.

"I was thinking I would scout out the Alpha's Court to see if it was safe for them to go. Can I have you give me your approval?" Morek asked. Erik narrowed his eyes but nodded.

"Just be careful out there. Take it slow, keep your eyes open and rely on each other." He said, pointing between Morek and Shadestar.

"When you come back, we'll have your two new recruits ready for you." Erik finished, smiling happily at Morek. Morek smiled back and climbed onto Shadestar's back.

"Don't worry Grandpa, we'll be alright." He said, before the two took off, flying towards the Alpha's Court. Erik watched them go, keeping a wary eye on them.

"It's not you I'm worried about." He said quietly, standing and walking back towards the Great Hall. Talina flew down from a stalagmite to accompany him.

Erik entered the Great Hall, ready to induct Helia and Even into the new Expeditionary Force, and begin a new chapter in Berk's history.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

Chapter 6: New Horizons

Morek smiled and looked down at Shadestar, wondering how this dragon decided that he would be a good companion. The two flew past the Fireworm Caverns and past the arch of crystal, into the Alpha's Court.

Shadestar warbled happily, looking back at Morek with a questioning look. Morek raised an eyebrow at him and smiled.

"You want to see your family, don't you?" He asked. Shadestar nodded happily, doing a little spin in the air. Morek laughed as he held on.

"Alright, then let's see how fast you can get there." He said. Shadestar started pumping his wings, the world seeming to blur around them as they picked up speed. Morek could see the Alpha's Court rushing towards them, barely able to keep track of where they were.

Shadestar slowed down and roared in the direction of the giant crystal. After a few moments, Morek heard another roar from that direction. Thunderheart was coming out to see his son.

Morek watched as the large night fury appeared from the crystal, looking out to see them. He roared again, opening his wings and leaping from the crystal. The two night furies flew towards each other, Shadestar panting happily.

Morek had to hold on as Shadestar and Thunderheart flew in circles and spirals around each other. He felt the adrenaline of holding on fill him as they flew, growing faster and faster.

After a few minutes of flying, they landed on the large crystal in the center of the Court. Morek stepped off Shadestar and watched him hug his father. Thunderheart returned his son's hug, rumbling deep in his chest.

Shadestar released his father and looked back at Morek. Morek smiled, but that smile quickly disappeared as Shadestar walked over, reared up, and grabbed Morek in his arms, walking him over to Thunderheart. Thunderheart looked down at Morek with a slightly interested expression.

Shadestar released Morek and set him in front of Thunderheart, taking a step back and bowing to the larger dragon. Morek looked back at him, and Shadestar gestured with his head to get down.

Realizing what Shadestar was doing, Morek kneeled in front of Thunderheart, taking off his helmet for the King of Dragons. Thunderheart reared up and huffed down at Morek, who looked up at the Alpha.

Thunderheart gestured for Morek to stand, which he did. When Morek was standing upright, Thunderheart opened his maw, glowing a light purple. Shadestar did the same from behind Morek, a slight whistling sound coming from the two dragons.

Morek tilted his head, but before he could do anything, Thunderheart reached out and grabbed Morek by the shoulder, holding him in place. Morek looked up at the night fury just in time to receive a face full of glowing blue saliva.

Morek froze, not knowing how to respond. When he opened his eyes, he saw a paw rising towards his face. Thunderheart started rubbing the saliva all over Morek's head, making sure to rub it in his hair and his neck too.

Morek was shocked at what they were doing. The two night furies were covering him with their spit. He looked up at them with a perplexed look, wondering what in the gods' names they were doing.

After an intense night fury spit bath, Shadestar warbled and gestured for Morek to hop on his back. Morek did so, retrieving his helmet from the ground.

"What was all that about bud?" He asked, leaning over to look at Shadestar. Shadestar warbled back at him and gestured up towards the upper crystal, where the furies made their homes.

Morek nodded and held on, Shadestar and Thunderheart taking flight up to the crystal. When they landed, Morek was greeted with a sight of about ten night and light furies resting on the sides of the crystal structure. When they landed, all heads in the crystal turned to look at Morek.

He carefully stepped off Shadestar, making sure not to frighten any of the furies that were watching him. Shadestar warbled and stood proudly, seeming to show off his human as he stood beside him. One of the light furies, seemingly one of the older members of the family, stepped forward. She looked Morek up and down before sniffing him.

She looked over at Thunderheart and cooed questioningly. He huffed in Morek and Shadestar's direction, seeming to say take a look. Shadestar pushed his head into Morek's back, moving him closer to the other dragons.

The light fury smelled Morek's hair again, seeming to decide that he was worth her time. After a few sniffs, she called to the other dragons. The other night furies walked forward, each of them taking turns sniffing his hair.

After a few minutes, Morek finally realized why Shadestar and Thunderheart had spit on him. They were putting their scents on him so he could meet the night furies and other dragons without making them violent when they catch his scent.

"Ah, I see what you did there." Morek said, looking over at Shadestar. Shadestar cooed at him, nodding his head towards the other side of the room. Morek followed him and found himself looking at a light fury curled up on a nest.

She opened her eyes to look up at Morek, tilting her head at him. He tilted his head back at her, wondering what Shadestar wanted. Thunderheart walked over and rubbed heads with the young light fury, as did the older light fury from before.

Thunderheart and the older light fury sat side by side, his wing curled around her. Shadestar also rubbed heads with the light fury, but he didn't curl up around her like Thunderheart did to the other light fury.

That's when it dawned on Morek. This was Shadestar's sister. He knelt in front of her and held out a hand. She looked at him and sniffed his hair, looking over at Thunderheart with a questioning coo. He nodded at her, warbling in response.

She turned back to Morek and laid her nose in his hand, relaxing a little at his touch. Morek looked at Shadestar, smiling at him. Shadestar responded with his own mimicking smile. The light fury laid her head down, seeming to instantly fall asleep.

Thunderheart stepped forward and leaned down to inspect her, cooing worriedly. The light fury mewed weakly, unfurling to reveal a swollen belly. Her entire body shook, and Morek immediately understood what was happening.

The light fury was pregnant, and she was about to go into labor. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, but this light fury was very small. Morek's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Shadestar.

"We need to go bud, now!" He said, running towards the edge of the crystal. He didn't even wait for Shadestar to follow him, immediately jumping off the ledge and unfurling his wings. Shadestar jumped and flew below Morek, gliding upwards to allow him to land on his back.

Shadestar pumped his wings as Morek retracted his, moving faster and faster. They sped through the crystal arches and the Fireworm Caverns. Morek saw the Great Hall, and the huge gathering of Vikings outside of it told him that the induction ceremony had begun.

"Take us down bud!" He yelled. Shadestar nodded and they dove, screaming towards the Hall. The group of Vikings scattered, and Morek laid eyes on Helia and Even standing next to his grandfather. They were wearing new uniforms that matched the colors of their dragons, but Morek didn't have time for that now.

Shadestar landed in front of the two new lieutenants, Morek jumping off him. Erik smiled at him, but his face fell when he saw the worried look on Morek's face. Morek grabbed Helia by the arm.

"Helia, do you know how to help a dragon through labor?" He asked her, out of breath but managing to speak. She gave him a confused look.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" She asked. Morek shook his head.

"There isn't time to explain. Both of you, grab your dragons. We're going on our first expedition." Morek said, pointing towards the Fireworm Caverns. The two of them nodded, running off towards the stables. Morek turned towards Erik.

"A light fury is in labor, but she might need help." Morek said, explaining the situation. "Permission to lead a second expedition?" Morek asked.

Erik nodded. "Get out there and help her out. Anything we can do to get on the night furies' good side is allowed according to me." He said. Morek nodded and mounted Shadestar, urging him into the air.

Shadestar and Morek circled the stables until Heartbreaker and Burple took flight. Burple seemed to be struggling slightly, but it was more due to discomfort than a lack of strength on her part. Even was very rigid, yelping at the slightest shift in weight.

Morek would have normally taken the time to help him out, but under these circumstances he didn't feel he had the time.

"Alright you two, follow me and stay close." Morek said. The group flew through the Fireworm Caverns, making their way to the Alpha's Court.

Morek looked back over his shoulder, judging what the other two were feeling. He could tell they were nervous, but if they were with Shadestar and himself they would be fine.

As they approached the court, Shadestar let loose a roar. Some of the dragons near the court raised their heads in his direction. As a unified flock, they flew out to surround the newcomers. Helia and Even started panicking, but Morek raised a hand to still them.

The flock didn't attack, it seemed like they were trying to circle the team and guide them up towards the furies' lair. As they drew close the flock separated, leaving the team to land in the crystal alone.

Shadestar let out a warning roar and alerted the other furies to their presence. Thunderheart made his way through to them. Heartbreaker and Burple landed behind Shadestar, Helia and Even dismounting and staring in awe at the multitude of furies staring at them.

Morek held out his hands as some of the furies assumed defensive stances. Thunderheart barked and they backed off.

"Shadestar, tell them that Helia and Even are here to help." Morek said, getting off his dragon. Shadestar nodded and growled at the other dragons. He turned and looked at Helia.

"Helia, follow me. Leave Heartbreaker there." Morek said, walking across the nest. Heartbreaker stayed at the entrance, keeping his head low. Helia followed Morek, gasping when she saw the light fury panting on the ground.

"Oh dear." Helia said, walking over carefully, holding out a hand for the light fury. She weakly raised her head and sniffed her hand. She lowered her head as another tremble wracked her body.

"Helia, help her." Morek said, not knowing how he can help. She nodded, her face steadying in a steely gaze.

"Even, come here and help me, I'll need an extra set of hands. Morek, I need some medicinal herbs and potions from the healers." She said. Even quickly made his way over. Morek nodded and signaled to Shadestar.

The two leaped out of the crystal at the same time, Morek landing on Shadestar's back. They rocketed back to the village, whirring past dragons and stalagmites alike. They hit the ground outside the Great Hall at record speeds, blowing the doors wide open.

Morek sprinted past the confused Vikings and into the nursery, frantically looking around for supplies. He pulled the doors open on the cabinets and found some tonics and herbs. He grabbed what he could and ran back.

"Come on Shadestar!" He yelled, running out of the Hall. He performed a running mount and they were back in the air in less than two minutes.

They landed back on the crystal to find a ring of furies around the humans that were helping their kin. Shadestar pushed through them, allowing Morek to pass. Even was rubbing the light fury's belly and Helia was behind her, checking to make sure everything went smoothly.

Helia looked up to see Morek with the herbs and nodded. "Those will do, Even, rub the tonics on her belly. Morek, have her smell the moss. It'll help with the pain."

Morek and Even nodded and got to work. They sat by the light fury's side for what felt like hours, waiting for her to lay her eggs.

Eventually, three eggs were laid, their mother curling around them protectively as she fell unconscious. Morek looked over at Helia with a questioning gaze.

"She'll be alright, she just needs some food and rest. I'm sure they will give it to her." Helia said, gesturing to the other dragons in the nest. Morek nodded and turned to Shadestar.

"She's going to be ok, bud. You can go to her now." He said. Shadestar warbled and walked over to his sister, whom lay softly sleeping alongside her eggs. Thunderheart was curled protectively around her, as was the older light fury.

Morek tilted his head before realizing what their connection was. "She's Shadestar's sister." Morek said, turning to look at the other two. Even's eyes widened in wonder, but Helia just nodded her head knowingly.

"But if that's the case then who is the father?" Helia asked, looking around at the other night furies. Morek looked around too, and he realized one of them was missing.

"The rule follower, that's the father. Weird that he's not here though." Morek said, wondering where he could be.

Shadestar returned and bumped Morek with his head. He turned and smiled at Shadestar, looking outside of the nest.

"Even, Helia, our work here is done, and I believe I didn't take you two on a tour of the cavern." Morek said, looking over his shoulder at them. They both smiled and went to their dragons.

"Oh, and Even, loosen up a bit while you're flying. Staying tense like that is just going to give you cramps." Morek said, smirking at his friend.

The three explorers took off from the crystal, leaving the night furies behind. Morek consulted his map and found that there was another cavern beside the Court that looked like some sort of breeding ground.

"Alright, both of you stay close to Shadestar and I, we'll make sure the dragons don't bother us." Morek said, turning Shadestar to fly towards the cavern.

The team flew towards the cavern and found an expansive cave filled with more of the mushroom-shaped rocks. Upon these rocks were dragon nests piled with eggs, which were all being guarded by mother dragons.

These mother dragons gave the team wary glances, but otherwise they didn't attempt to attack them. Morek smiled when he saw that all these dragons were relatively healthy, and he saw some breeds that he had heard of but never seen before.

There were windwalkers, skrills, shovelhelms, and snafflefangs, along with many other dragon breeds, even a rumblehorn.

Morek was surprised by the variety of dragons here, but what was most surprising was how calm they all were. None of the dragons seemed to be fighting for space or food. He turned and smiled when he saw Helia fawning over some of the baby dragons that had already hatched.

"Come on guys, there's more to explore!" Morek said, picking up the pace. They crossed the cavern to find a multitude of exits that branched into other caverns. He looked at all the exits and turned to Even.

"Since this is your first flight, you should pick which way we go." Morek said, smiling at Even. He gave Morek a nervous smile in return, before picking the path that led farthest to the left, showing a cavern filled with foliage, and lit by a massive crystal that shed light brighter than a fireworm queen's glow.

Morek nodded and led them through the entrance, revealing a cavern that was filled with jungle, and descended in a cone shape downwards, leading to a dark hole that was almost impossible to see due to the foliage. They looked around and saw that there were some timberjacks nesting in the steep cliffs on the side of the hole.

"Grandpa never wrote about this." Morek said, jotting down some notes for his journal. He turned to the others and motioned for them to circle back.

"Alright, we've found a new cavern. We'll head home and rest, and tomorrow we'll tackle this cavern. I think we'll be in for quite the surprise when we head down that hole." Morek said with an excited tone.

The team of explorers flew back through the hole and into the breeding cavern, where they passed undisturbed. As they entered the Alpha's Court, though, something did disturb them.

A great, booming bellow echoed around the caverns, Morek couldn't tell where the bellow came from, but he did know that something wasn't right. As far as he could tell, whatever made that sound was a long way away.

"Ok, we need to get back to the village, quick. If that was what I think it is, we're about to have some trouble." Morek said, urging Shadestar to fly faster. Shadestar didn't need to be told twice, flying back to the village as quickly as possible.

Morek looked back over his shoulder at the Alpha's Court, finding Thunderheart watching them go with a protective look. Whatever that roar was, Morek knew that if it spooked Thunderheart, they should be terrified.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

**Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews everyone, they are greatly appreciated. Now it's time for the story to really start picking up. Ready? Let's go!**

Chapter 7: Uproar

Morek urged Shadestar and the others back to the village, wanting to report to Erik as soon as possible. They passed the Fireworm Caverns and entered the Stalagmite Forest. Morek urged Shadestar to land at the Great Hall. Shadestar complied and dove, landing just outside the doors.

Morek got off Shadestar and patted his shoulder, turning to watch as the others landed. Even got off Burple and made a show of kissing the ground.

"What was that?" Helia asked, Heartbreaker crouching so she could slide off him. Morek shook his head. He had a faint idea of what it could be, but if that roar had been what he thought it was, then the entire village was in trouble.

"I'm not sure, but we need to find my grandfather." He said, leading the group and their dragons inside. They found the Hall relatively empty, all the Vikings seeming to have gone home. The council was in session, Morek could tell from the faint talking taking place beyond the large double doors.

"You guys stay here and rest up, grab some food. I'll go alert the council." Morek said, pointing to the banquet table. Helia and Even nodded, walking over with the dragons. Shadestar stayed by Morek's side, rumbling at him.

Morek smiled and pet Shadestar's head. The two walked over and opened the doors, interrupting the council's talks. Erik was sitting off to the side, watching them with wizened eyes. He raised a questioning eyebrow when he saw Morek enter.

"Morek, the council is busy." Hagrish said, Kadil turning around to look at Morek. He guessed that Kadil had been talking to the council about another one of his plans. Morek shook his head and looked up apologetically.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, but I wouldn't intrude unless I thought it was a dire circumstance." He said, nodding apologetically to Kadil. Kadil nodded back, stepping to the side and allowing Morek through.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the council, my team and I were out on our first expedition when we heard what I believe was a challenge for Thunderheart." Morek said. The council looked intrigued, some leaning out of their seats to look at him.

"I believe a bewilderbeast has challenged Thunderheart for his position as Alpha." Morek said, earning gasps from some of the council members. Erik stood and looked at Morek with a stern gaze.

"Are you sure lad?" Erik asked. Morek nodded, turning to look at his grandfather.

"Unless there is another species of dragon that can shake an entire cavern with its roar." Morek said. "And let me tell you now, that roar was no thunderdrum."

The council started whispering to each other urgently, until Kadil walked forward and raised his hands. The council fell silent as they all turned their gazes to the young man.

"I believe my cousin, and I believe I have a plan that might be able to help this situation." Kadil said, looking back at Morek and nodding. Morek gave him a thankful nod in return.

"If what my cousin says is true, we should send out a patrol to locate that bewilderbeast so that we can track its movements. That way, we can tell whether or not it could pose a threat to the village." Kadil said, earning nods of approval from the council members. Erik nodded as well, looking at Morek to see if he was okay with this plan.

Morek nodded back at his grandfather, clapping Kadil on the back. "Thank you Kadil." He said. Kadil turned and gave him a smile.

"I know how much you want to get out there and explore, what kind of a cousin would I be if I didn't help you out every once in a while?" He asked. Morek smiled at him and nodded.

"Morek, will you accept an expedition to go out and locate this bewilderbeast?" Hagrish said, looking down at his son.

"It would be my honor, we can leave as soon as is necessary." Morek said. Erik raised a hand, catching the attention of the entire room.

"First, your two lieutenants will need some protection." Erik said. He walked out the doors, gesturing for Morek to follow him out.

"I had the smithy start crafting your friends some armor, but it may take some time. Until then, I recommend you all do some training. A bewilderbeast can be a dangerous dragon to tangle with, you all need to be prepared." He said. Morek nodded and walked over to his friends.

"Even, Helia, group huddle." Morek said, Shadestar moving to grab some food off the table. The two left their food and stood beside Morek.

"Alright you guys, we're going to go find ourselves a bewilderbeast." Morek said. Helia gasped excitedly, but Even groaned.

"Come on, we just got back." He complained, Morek silencing him with a hand. He gave Even a stern look before continuing.

"We aren't leaving yet, the smithy is making you guys some armor like mine, but since it might take some time, we're going to be doing some training." Morek said, earning excited yet nervous looks from the two.

"I have some ideas about what we're going to do, but first, we need to eat and get some rest. Meet back here in eight hours." Morek said. The others nodded and gestured for their dragons to accompany them.

Morek sat down and started eating alongside Shadestar. The two of them sat in silence for some time before Morek turned to Shadestar.

"Do you think we'll be able to handle this, Shadestar?" He asked the night fury beside him. Shadestar looked up at him and warbled softly, bumping his head into Morek's side. Morek smiled and pet his head.

"Thanks bud." He said. "Come on, let's go find some place to rest."

They walked out of the Great Hall, and for some reason Morek was drawn to the shack that his grandfather had gifted him. They walked over to the shack and found themselves alone by the shack.

Morek opened the door and checked inside. Nobody was there, and there was enough space that the two of them could lay down and rest for some time. Morek walked to the corner and laid down, patting the floor beside him for Shadestar.

The two curled up and closed their eyes, drifting off into a peaceful sleep. It was a few hours later when Morek awoke to the sound of knocking on the door.

He stood up and walked to the door, opening it to reveal his grandfather. Erik smiled and looked inside to see Shadestar.

"Ah, I see." He said, walking inside and inspecting some of the maps. He turned to look at Morek and gave him a sigh.

"This will be dangerous, you know that." Erik said, giving Morek a stern look. "I'm going to make sure that you and your team are prepared. I'm going to prepare a training regime for you, and you are going to follow it, understood?"

Morek nodded, Shadestar grumbling as he woke up. The night fury stretched and yawned, opening his mouth wide. He opened his eyes to see Erik and warbled at Morek, seemingly ready to go.

"Alright, you go grab your friends and meet them here." Erik said, waving his hand. Morek complied, Shadestar accompanying him as they left the shack and headed towards the Great Hall.

"Do you think we're ready for this bud?" He asked, looking down at his friend. Shadestar cooed at him and bumped his head into his side. "Yeah, I think we will be." Morek replied.

They reached the Great Hall and found Helia and Even, along with their dragons, eating in the Great Hall. When they saw Morek and Shadestar enter the Hall, they quickly set down their food and moved to join them.

"Are you guys ready for training?" Morek asked them, earning a nod from Helia. He nodded in return, turning and leading them out of the Hall and back to the shack.

They found Erik waiting for them, holding a piece of parchment. "Alright everyone, I have individual training for each of you. Even, you need to get better at flying on your dragon, you're too stiff." He said, Even sulking slightly.

"Helia, you need to focus on working in an environment where Heartbreaker won't be able to help you." He said, Helia nodding resolutely.

"Morek, you need to work with Shadestar, the two of you have been bonded for a shorter time than the others, so you both need to know what the other is capable of." Erik said, reading off his paper.

The group split up, Even mounting Burple and taking off to fly through the course that was outlined on the parchment Erik gave him. Helia walked to the edge of the planks that kept them suspended in the air. Her assignment was to climb down the stalagmite and reach the bottom without Shadestar's help.

Morek's assignment was to fly on Shadestar and see how fast the night fury could go. He mounted Shadestar and patted his side. "Are you ready to fly bud?" He asked, earning a happy warble from Shadestar.

He smiled, and Shadestar took flight, pumping his wings. The two screamed across the Forest, Morek's vision blurring from the force of the wind on his eyes. They seemed to continue flying for hours, the time blurring as much as Morek's vision.

After some hours of flying and training, Morek and Shadestar landed back at the shack, finding a tired-looking Helia and a stiff legged Even. Morek himself was tired as well, but he knew for a fact that he would be ready for the bewilderbeast if Shadestar's speed was as great as he had witnessed.

"Alright you three, that's enough training. I suggest going to check in with the smithy, they might have your suits ready for you." Erik said, walking back to the Great Hall. Morek looked over at the others.

"How was training for you guys?" He asked. Helia rolled her eyes but smiled.

"It was good, I just wish he hadn't made me climb back up as well." She said, rubbing her sore hands. Even was rubbing his legs as he groaned.

"That hurts, why is dragon riding so hard?" He asked, looking over at Morek and Helia. Morek gave him a deadpan look.

"Because you are trying to control where Burple goes while she's flying, if you weren't so stiff, you'd see that she knows how to fly on her own, just trust her." Morek said. Even sighed and went back to rubbing his legs.

"Anyway, I think we should head to the smithy." Helia said, interrupting the two. Morek nodded, hopping onto Shadestar.

"I'll see you two in a bit, there's something I want to check out." He said. Even and Helia nodded, both heading towards the smithy. Shadestar took off, Morek guiding him towards the Fireworm Caverns. He wanted to have a look into the Alpha's Court to see what was going on.

The two entered the Caverns to find that the dragons that usually lit the cavern were absent, seeming to have disappeared. They continued past the Caverns and found themselves staring at a massive flock of dragons converging on the Court.

Morek and Shadestar stayed farther back, watching the dragons with narrowed eyes. They were flying in a spiral pattern around the Court, calling out with squawks, chirps and bellows. They were agitated about something, and Morek had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what was causing it. They were seeking their Alpha's presence, trying to find safety beside him.

Morek nudged Shadestar and they flew forward. The flock was highly agitated, bursts of flame shooting out whenever two dragons bumped into each other. Shadestar roared, silencing the flock as the two flew closer.

All eyes were on them as they landed on the crystal in the middle of the Court. Shadestar turned and watched the dragons as they landed, crowding around the base of the crystal. Just as they seemed to be growing calmer, a deep, echoing roar shook through the cavern.

The startled flock took flight, leaving the cavern barren. Morek turned to look in the direction of the roar. It had come from beyond a large, dark opening in the far side of the cavern. Morek could tell that the owner of the roar was still far off, but they wouldn't stay away for long.

"This isn't good bud, we need to get out there and find that bewilderbeast as soon as possible." Morek said, turning to look at Shadestar. Shadestar gave him a firm nod, looking out and growling in the direction of the roar.

Morek stared at the entrance to the dark cavern for some time, feeling deeply unsettled by what could be hiding in those shadows. He looked at Shadestar and sighed.

"I'm glad you're with me Shadestar. I don't know where I would be without you." He said, mounting the saddle once again.

"Let's report to Erik, he'll want to know the dragons are in uproar over this fight." Morek said, turning Shadestar around.

Unknown to the both, a pair of eyes watched from the darkness of a nearby cavern, watching as the two flew back to the safety of the caverns. After watching the two fly away, the owner of the eyes descended back into the darkness, biding their time.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

**Author's note: Sorry for not posting in a long time, school has been rough, and testing has begun. Thank you all for being patient with me. This chapter will be a little shorter, but I promise to make the wait worth your while!**

Chapter 8: Fight or Flight

Morek and Shadestar arrived back at the village, gliding down to Erik's shack. When they landed, Morek found Helia and her dragon Heartbreaker standing beside the shack. She turned and smiled when she heard them coming in.

"Took you long enough, your grandfather went to the Great Hall." She said, stepping back to let them land on the platform. The young prince of Berk stepped off Shadestar and looked at her.

"The dragons are freaking out, Thunderheart is getting ready to fight, but they still seem agitated." Morek explained, Helia's face falling as she hears the news.

"We need to tell them about this, if it gets too out of hand, they might start invading the Stalagmite Forests to get away from the conflict." Morek said, walking down the path to the Hall.

Along the way to the Hall, the two explorers were unusually quiet. They contemplated how they could safely resolve a conflict between two rival species. Eventually, Morek spoke up.

"The dragons probably know something that we don't." He tells Helia. She turned and raised a curious brow at him.

"What makes you say that?" She asked, wondering about it herself. Morek paused and turned to explain it to her.

"If the dragons only knew what we knew, I don't think they would be worrying as much as they are now. If you think about it, changing alphas is natural to them, it's a part of life. My question is, why are they worrying so much about this particular dispute?" He explains, giving Helia some time to consider this as they move on towards the Great Hall.

After some thinking, Helia nods. "That makes sense, they're worrying far too much about it for it to be a normal territorial or dominance dispute. This can't be a natural event, otherwise they would be perfectly fine with it. You don't think…" She says, trailing off. Morek nods solemnly.

"I think there's more to it than a feisty upstart bewilderbeast thinking it's got a shot at the crown… I think that we may just have to put down that bewilderbeast. It could be sick, or just angry. Whatever the problem, it's not a normal dispute." Morek says as they approach the doors to the Great Hall.

As the two of them entered alongside their dragons, they spotted Even sitting alongside Burple in the dining area. When he saw them, he stood and walked over.

"Morek, you're back… what's wrong?" He asked, noticing the worried looks on both their faces. Morek sighed and looked over at Helia.

"Could you give him the rundown? I need to go and relay this to my grandfather." He says, walking past Even and giving Burple a pat on the head.

Morek walked into the council chamber to find it empty. He looked around for a moment before hearing a cough from the corner. He whipped around to find Kadil leaning against the wall. Kadil smiled as he stood up.

"You really should be more attentive you know." He says to Morek, walking forward. "I hope you're not that oblivious when you're out in the field." He says jokingly. Morek smiles and laughs.

"Well, you know me, I've always known dragons better than people." He says. Kadil nods and tilts his head.

"What's bothering you Morek?" He asks, looking slightly concerned. Morek nods, unloading his worries on Kadil. After a few minutes of talking, Morek has told Kadil about all of his worries with the bewilderbeast.

"I just hope we don't have to put it down." He finishes. Kadil nods and rests his hand on Morek's shoulder.

"It sounds like this bewilderbeast might have an agenda of sorts, maybe he doesn't just want to be the alpha." He says, causing Morek to look up in confusion. Kadil continued before his cousin could ask any more questions.

"Normally, when dragons fight both fighters leave alive, correct?" He asked Morek. The younger cousin nodded, starting to understand where Kadil was coming from.

"Night furies and bewilderbeasts are smart. Smart enough to recognize and feel human emotion, so that bewilderbeast might be angry with the night furies for taking his rightful place as king." Kadil said. "So maybe he's planning something, like eradicating the night furies so that his species is no longer contested for the throne."

Morek's eyes widened and he nodded. "That must be it!" He shouted. "Kadil, do you know where Erik is?" He asks. Kadil nods and points down the Elder's hallway.

"He's in there, reminiscing about the good old days." Kadil says, before walking out of the room.

Morek walked down the hall, seeing Erik at the far end, staring at his old suit of white armor. It was battered and torn, the white streaked through with spots of crimson blood.

"I've been in scrapes worse than the night fury nest, but I was too old to get you to safety." Erik said, turning to look at Morek. "I'm just glad Shadestar was there to get us out of that situation." He said.

Morek sighed, thinking about the night fury that was currently gorging himself on fish with the others. It was crazy to believe that just a few days ago Morek was yearning for a dragon of his own, and now he was bonded to the prince of dragons.

"Yeah, Shadestar has been a blessing. Thank the gods he was my dragon." Morek said, smiling to himself. Erik raised a knowing eyebrow at the young rider.

"What's on your mind boy?" He asked, turning away from the white armor to look at Morek. Morek sighed and started relaying everything he knew to the wizened old veteran.

After some time, Erik sighed and closed his eyes. "Boy, gather the rest of the riders… we need to prepare for war." He said. "If this is a case of fight or flight, we'll choose flight, we're Berkians for Thor's sake."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

Chapter 9: The Challenge

The village of Berk was buzzing with activity. Ever since the news of a possible dragon invasion a week ago, the riders had been training and the builders had been creating defensive bunkers for civilians to hide inside. Kadil had taken charge of the tactical planning, using his technical expertise to find ways for the villagers to outmaneuver any hostile dragons that may be pursuing them. Hagrish was busy keeping up moral and helping wherever he could. Even was helping in the blacksmith's shop, creating building materials and delivering them with Burple's help. Helia was taking the role of informant, teaching the villagers and riders about the possible dragons that could attempt to invade Thunderheart's home.

Morek and Shadestar stood alone in the Alpha's Court, the crystal glowing softly at their feet. Thunderheart had been growing anxious, not allowing the rider into the nest. Morek could tell from the sounds from the nest that the rest of the furies were growing restless as well.

Just like his father, something was bothering Shadestar, he continued to pace and growl to himself, jumping and hissing at the slightest noise. The jet-black dragon kept looking up at the nest then back at the dark entrance to the Caverns Beyond, as Morek had come to call them.

"What is it Shadestar?" Morek asked, knowing that he couldn't get an exact answer. The night fury warbled and gestured up to the nest again before gesturing to the Caverns. Morek tilted his head.

"Is someone out there? Someone you know?" Morek asked, looking at the dark expanse. Shadestar warbled in agreement, before warbling and posing. It took Morek a moment to realize what he was doing, before realizing he was mimicking the stance of Thunderheart's second-in-command.

"Oh, the rule follower, is he your family?" Morek asked. Shadestar nodded and turned to look at the Caverns and growled. Morek looked over, reaching for the sword at his side. From the depths of the darkness, something was emerging. It was dark, with bright, intelligent green eyes. Morek's eyes widened as he saw the rule follower emerge from the darkness.

"Shadestar! He's back!" Morek yelled, Shadestar warbled in happiness before leaping into flight. The two night furies flew towards each other, but Morek noticed something was wrong. The rule follower wasn't flying happily, he had his eyes narrowed like a dragon on a mission. When Shadestar flew close to greet him, he growled and flew past him, straight for the nest.

Thunderheart stepped out of the nest, looking at the rule follower and growling. The rule follower growled back, and they both flew straight at each other. Morek's eyes widened further as he noticed the two begin charging their plasma shots.

An unholy screaming filled the air as the two black dragons flew at each other. In a deafening boom, their plasma shots released and collided, shaking the cavern. They continued flying in a circular path, shooting plasma blast after blast at each other. For a moment Morek wasn't worried, Thunderheart was the undisputed alpha, there was no way he would lose. Then Thunderheart missed his shot.

Morek took a step back. Night furies don't miss, it must have just been miscalculated on Thunderheart's part, but then he missed again, and again. Morek started to worry, Thunderheart was wasting precious fuel, and the rule follower wasn't missing.

Again and again, plasma shots slammed into the older night fury, not burning him but they did throw him off his flight pattern. Morek clenched his fists. This rule follower, no, Usurper, was attacking his father, the night fury that had protected him for so long. Morek's vision started to turn red as the two night furies landed on the crystal, both out of breath.

Thunderheart stumbled slightly, shaking his head to clear it. Usurper walked forward, raising his head and growling at Thunderheart. Shadestar landed beside Morek, looking angered. Morek heard a screeching sound and saw Usurper's maw start glowing blue. "Shadestar, come on!" He yelled.

The two rushed forward, images of Morek's grandfather shooting through his head as he saw Thunderheart standing defeated below the younger night fury. He and Shadestar moved in perfect unison, their hearts and minds beating and thinking as one. They had one goal, one purpose, to protect their family.

Morek ran to the right side of Usurper, while Shadestar ran to the left. The two moved seamlessly together as Shadestar shot a plasma blast at Usurper's head, causing him to miss his plasma blast at Thunderheart. As Usurper's head rocked to the side, it was greeted with Morek's knee.

The night fury roared in pain as Morek's knee collided with his eye, streaming blood as it split the skin of the dragon's brow. Morek and Shadestar roared, slamming into Usurper and throwing him backwards, away from Thunderheart.

Usurper shook his head, only able to open his right eye as his left was covered in blood. He looked at the two and growled, the spines on his back splitting. He started glowing green as the plasma in his mouth started changing colors to match the green glow.

Morek had expected this, but he didn't expect what happened next. Usurper's eye started glowing green as well, the pupil shifting from black to electric white as electricity arced out of his eye. Morek took a step back seeing this transformation. Electricity began arcing through Usurper's fins and eyes, making him look like the offspring of lightning and death that the Book of Dragons mentioned.

The air started to crackle as Usurper roared his fury, staring straight at Shadestar. Shadestar growled and started charging his own plasma shot. Before the two dragons could fire, a flock of furies landed on the crystal, all of them staring angrily at Usurper and charging their own shots. He glared angrily at all of them before his eyes landed on Morek and Shadestar.

Usurper roared and took to the air, flying back towards the Caverns Beyond. Shadestar was about to go after him, but a bark from Thunderheart stopped him in his tracks. Shadestar turned to see the older night fury stand shakily, walking forward and pressing his forehead to his son's.

The dragons turned to look at the Caverns beyond and the retreating figure of Usurper. Thunderheart huffed and turned back to Shadestar, warbling at his son. Shadestar warbled back and the two dragons shared an embrace.

After Thunderheart returned to his nest with the help of the other furies, Morek looked at Shadestar. Shadestar gave him a knowing look and cooed at him, turning and gesturing for Morek to climb on.

"Alright bud, let's get back and tell the others about Usurper." Morek said, getting in the saddle. Dragon and rider took off, flying back towards their home and friends.

During the flight, Morek took a moment to enjoy the beauty of the world around him. The beautiful glow of the bioluminescent plants and the waterfalls cascading down the rocks brought such wonder to him now that he stopped to contemplate his world.

The Hidden World was a blessing to the dragons and Vikings of Berk. If it hadn't been for chief Hiccup and his loyal friends, Berk would be a very different place, and they may well have had to give up their dragons. However, thanks to Hiccup's ingenuity, the Vikings of Berk could live alongside their dragons. It hadn't been easy, it still wasn't, but it was the best life the Vikings of Berk could ask for.

Morek smiled as they flew towards the village, seeing the preparations and buzz of life that the Vikings had been missing in their small village.

As Morek and Shadestar landed, Helia and Heartbreaker emerged from the Great Hall to greet them. Morek smiled as his friend walked towards him.

"So what's the report?" Morek heard Kadil ask, turning to find his cousin walking towards him from the blacksmith's stall.

"Thunderheart is injured, he was attacked by another night fury that tried to usurp him." Morek said, going on to explain the entire situation to Kadil and Helia. Helia nodded along, following Morek's words very closely.

Kadil nodded understandingly. "That means that this fight has escalated to a war." He said. Morek gave him a confused look before he continued.

"Originally, he would have just killed Thunderheart and taken over as Alpha, but now that you and Shadestar have interfered, it's become a little more personal. This Usurper is out for blood now, he sees you as a threat to his dominance, so he'll seek to take you out." Kadil said.

Morek nodded and sighed. "I had a feeling it became personal. I've never seen a look like that on a dragon before though." He said, feeling disturbed about Usurper's hate-filled gaze. It was almost unnatural for a dragon to be that angry.

"Morek, we need to find out how Usurper did that thing with the glowing eyes." Helia said, popping in to the conversation. "If Usurper can do that but the other night furies can't, Thunderheart and the others might be at a huge disadvantage." She explained. Morek nodded and looked back at his cousin.

"Thanks for the input Kadil." Morek said, earning a nod from his cousin.  
"I'm happy to help. If you excuse me, I will go oversee preparations on the bunkers." Kadil said, stepping past the two of them and walking down the path.

Morek turned to look at Helia and smirked. She gave him a confused look and he chuckled.

"Wanted me all to yourself, did you?" He asked, smirking. Helia scoffed and slapped his shoulder. Shadestar warbled and Heartbreaker huffed at the two humans.

"Watch it sir!" Helia said warningly. The two had been getting close over the past week, often going on walks or flying on their dragons together. They shared a strong bond now, and Morek had even had her come over to his home to have dinner with his family.

Morek smiled and waved it off. "That just conveys to me that you're trying to hide something, but I'll let it slide." He said, smirking as she huffed at him.

"Whatever, let's just talk about the glowing eyes." Helia huffed, giving him a smile of her own. The two began walking down the path, looking out at the Stalagmite Forest around them as they walked on the wooden planks stuck into the side of one of the stalagmites.

They talked for a while, only staying on the topic of the glowing eyes for a few minutes before moving on to other topics such as their homes or how the preparations are going.

"Have you ever noticed how the crystals glow when something moves near them?" Morek asked. Helia nodded, watching the crystals across the way light up as a dragon flew past them. Morek watched and narrowed his eyes.

"Wait a second, Helia, dragons react with what they eat, right?" Morek asked, looking at Helia. She looked back and nodded.

"Yeah, it can even change the color of their scales…" She said, before her eyes widened. "And the color of their flames!" She said. Morek nodded and smirked.

"The crystals reacted with the dragons, and it reminded me of how dragons react to different foods. So maybe that glowing that Usurper was using was a result of something he ate!" Morek said, earning a nod from Helia.

"It must be something that reacts specifically to night furies, and it's probably good at conducting electricity." Helia said, closing her eyes as she thought.

Morek nodded and smiled. He enjoyed talking with her, especially when they make a breakthrough like this. The two continued talking for a while before Morek heard his grandfather calling for him.

"Ok, I've got to get going. I'll see you in a while Helia." Morek said, turning and running off towards the Great Hall.

Morek found his grandfather in front of the Great Hall, sitting with his head resting on the wall. When Morek moved closer, Erik opened his eyes to smile at his grandson.

"Son, I heard about that night fury with the glowing eyes, and I think I know how Shadestar can get that power." Erik said, standing and looking at Shadestar. "Now, let's talk about Toothless, the first Alpha of the Alpha's Court."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

**Author's Note: Oh boy, here we are, Chapter Ten! I hope you guys are as excited about this one as I am. I've been building up to this chapter for a while. Please leave a review if you enjoy and tell me what else you would like to see in the upcoming chapters. Thank you all for supporting me and enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 10: All is Fair in Love and War

Morek walked through the village, contemplating his next move. Usurper would be coming back to take his father's throne soon, and as the village was currently, they didn't have anything that could stand up to him in that state of power.

As Morek wandered, he began thinking about all the people in the village and how much he cared for them. His father Hagrish, working so hard to make sure that his people were safe. His mother Taralin, who helps in the kitchens of the Great Hall and who supported Morek through all his decisions. His cousin Kadil, the tactical genius that was taking it upon himself to protect his fellow Vikings.

Morek's thoughts of Kadil brought him to thinking about his uncle. Sven had been a sickly man in the months before he died, leaving Kadil, at the time just an eight-year-old boy, without parents or siblings to care for him. He spent time in almost every household in Berk, seeming to become a member of every family in the village.

Morek's thoughts then drifted to his friends. Helia, who had shown him how to get along with people and dragons alike, and Even, who had been his friend for years. The two of them had been at his side ever since they formed the Exploration Squad. Morek found himself smiling at the thought of going on more adventures with his friends, but first he needed to solve the problem of how to keep them safe.

Shadestar was the key. The young night fury had recently started eating more food, and Morek could tell that he was thinking about fighting because he kept finding the night fury shooting plasma blasts into the air. Morek knew, however, that Shadestar wouldn't be a match for Usurper unless he could gain the same power as his older brother.

That's where Erik comes in. He had told Morek that he might know where Shadestar can unlock this hidden power, but it would require that Morek and Shadestar go alone, without telling anyone where they are going.

The place in question is the old night fury burial grounds, located far within the darkest reaches of the Caverns Beyond. Erik hadn't been there, but he had observed old night furies flying into the Caverns, never to be seen again.

After some more walking, Morek stopped and took a deep breath. It was late, the people of Berk were asleep, and it was the perfect time to leave without being noticed by anyone. He whistled softly, knowing that Shadestar would pick it up with his sensitive ears.

Sure enough, the young night fury quickly arrived at the scene, appearing before Morek with a calm gaze. He knew what Morek had called him for, and he was ready to go.

Silently, Morek climbed onto Shadestar's saddle and patted his back, signaling that he was ready to go. The two took off, flying higher before turning towards the Fireworm Caverns and the Alpha's Court. They flew silently, neither of them making a sound as they passed the Court. Morek checked his armor, making sure all the straps were secure before placing his helmet on his head.

The Caverns Beyond opened before them, like the maw of a giant dragon awaiting its next meal. Morek took a deep, steadying breath to calm his nerves before they continued into the caverns. As they did, Shadestar's scales lit up with blue patterns reminiscent of lightning bolts. After a few minutes of flying in pitch darkness, Morek saw a dim light up ahead.

They entered a large cavern that was lit by a dim grey glow emanating from dark crystals located at the edges of the cavern. Within the center of the cavern lay a giant black dragon, almost the size of a full grown bewilderbeast. It remained curled up, its body rising and falling rhythmically as it slept. Morek gazed in wonder at the huge beast.

Its tail was similar in shape to a mace, and the head had six eyes. Six eyes! Morek had seen a dragon like this before in the book of dragons. It was a member of the Red Death species, and the fact that it was this close to his home scared him. A dragon like this could lay waste to Berk in moments, just by flying through the stalagmites that the buildings were built upon.

This dragon was slightly different though. If it had been this close, why hadn't it challenged Thunderheart for the role of Alpha? Surely it felt the alpha's presence nearby. Morek took a closer look at the dragon before realizing that it was indeed black, but not all the way. Its scales were faded and dull, like a person's hair when they age.

This dragon had been around for a long time, and from the looks of the moss covering its wings, it hadn't moved from that spot in months. Morek tilted his head and motioned for Shadestar to dive down. They should be taking one of the side tunnels from the cavern to try and find the burial ground, but this dragon was too fascinating to pass up.

As they approached, the Black Death's nostrils flared. It could smell them approaching. The dragon started moving and shifting its body. Morek thought that it might uncurl and try to attack them, but instead it curled up tighter, almost a perfect ball.

When Shadestar landed in front of the Black Death, its nostrils flared, and its eyes opened. Morek was shocked to find that they were grey. The old dragon was blind. It reached its head forward and sniffed the air around Shadestar before growling and opening its mouth, gas filling its throat and waiting to be ignited.

Shadestar growled and roared, opening his wings as he contested the black dragon. The dragon stopped and closed its mouth, leaning down and sniffing Shadestar again. It growled and laid its head down, seeming to be waiting for something.

Shadestar hesitantly walked forward, Morek remaining quiet and motionless in the saddle. The Black Death remained still, but when Shadestar rested his head on the dragon's nose, it nodded and started to roll over.

Morek watched in wonder as the dragon moved to reveal the cavern entrance that it had been guarding. The entrance glowed with blue light and gave off an electric feeling. Shadestar warbled at the Black Death, and it returned his warble with a grunt, as if to say, "Get going."

Without any further hesitation, Shadestar dove into the tunnel, Morek staying low in the saddle. They navigated through twists and turns that no dragon, other than a night fury, would be able to navigate. Even though most of the tunnel was dark, they occasionally passed clusters of blue crystals that reacted to Shadestar's presence, arcing bolts of electricity between themselves and the night fury.

The tunnel began widening out, before they flew out of the ground and into a large cavern filled with the blue glow of the crystals. Morek looked around and found that the cavern was similar in shape to a coliseum, like the Alpha's court. The only difference was that where the dragons would normally pay their respects, large outcroppings of blue crystals took their place. In the center of the coliseum was the largest crystal of them all, arcing electricity between itself and the other, smaller crystals.

Upon closer inspection, Morek noticed that some of the crystals had black centers while some of them had white centers. The crystal in the middle, however, was unique in that it had a black and white center.

Shadestar and Morek flew down to the crystals, landing in a safe space where the electricity would not reach them. Morek hopped off the saddle, his boots landing on the grey rock. He was shocked by what he was seeing.

Within each of the crystals, laying at their epicenter, was a fury. The crystals with black centers had night furies and the crystals with white centers had light furies. Some of the crystals with night furies and light furies within them were closer together than the others, and Morek could only guess that the crystals like this were mated pairs who had come here to pass away together.

Morek's eyes were drawn towards the crystal in the center of the room. Its epicenter held two furies, a night fury and a light fury. He and Shadestar walked forward, ignoring the electricity as they neared the crystal. Morek couldn't believe his eyes.

Toothless, the first Berkian Alpha, was laying within a crystal beside the light fury that had brought him to the Hidden World. Morek stared in wonder, Toothless, the Blue Alpha, Shadestar's ancestor, was sitting only ten feet away from him within a crystal. Morek turned to Shadestar and pointed at Toothless.

"Say hello to your grandfather and mother." He said, gesturing for Shadestar to move closer. Shadestar did so, not needing an invitation as he watched electricity arc between himself and the crystal. The closer Shadestar got to the crystal, the more electricity began to arc.

Morek, sensing that something was about to happen, took a step backwards. Shadestar closed the gap between himself and the crystal, stretching out his nose towards it. Just before Shadestar's head made contact with the crystal, Morek ducked, sensing a buildup of power within the crystal.

Shadestar's head touched the crystal, just inches away from touching Toothless himself, and the energy within the crystal channeled itself into the young night fury. Shadestar roared in surprise as he felt the energy from his ancestors' crystals flow through him. However, he was unable to pull his head away from the crystal as power was siphoned into him.

The electric blue crystals all dimmed as their energy was moved into the center crystal, which in turn was draining into Shadestar, whose body markings were beginning to glow with power. The air hummed and Morek's hair stood on end. An explosion shook the cavern, blowing dust up as the crystals lost their light and the cavern darkened to nothing.

Morek was thrown backwards by the force of the explosion, hitting the ground and rolling to minimize damage. The dark cavern and the dust blocked his vision of Shadestar, but he could see a faint blue glow where Shadestar had been standing.

"Shadestar, are you alright buddy?" Morek asked, standing and carefully making his way towards the glow. As he passed through a dust cloud, Morek found his friend standing and staring at himself in awe.

Shadestar had been given the power of his ancestors, and that had triggered a transformation in him. His spines had split and were giving off a bright electric glow, his eyes, normally a bright green, were glowing blue and the pupils were glowing white, like Usurper's. Unlike Usurper, however, lightning was arcing between Shadestar and the area around him, giving him an aura like a skrill's.

"Woah, looking sharp Shadestar. I think we found your brother's secret." Morek said, smiling under the helmet. Shadestar warbled and looked down at his glowing body. His lightning markings were glowing brighter than ever, and he seemed to be overflowing with electricity.

Shadestar looked up at the ceiling and began charging a plasma blast. Morek watched in awe as he blasted a plasma shot that exploded with enough power to shake the cavern again. Morek smiled as Shadestar warbled happily, bounding over to Morek. Morek smiled and thanked the gods that he was wearing night fury armor, otherwise he may have been shocked when Shadestar bumped his head into him.

Shadestar bounded around Morek, warbling happily as his blue glow faded back within him, before activating it again and shooting another plasma blast, testing his newfound power. As they laughed together, Morek noticed that the cavern was lighting up again. He turned and found that the center crystal was glowing again, and electricity was starting to arc between the crystals once more. Satisfied that they hadn't done any lasting damage, turned back to find Shadestar yawning.

"Tired bud?" Morek asked, and Shadestar responded by curling up by his side. Morek smiled and sat down beside him.

"Good idea Shadestar, you should get some rest, that must have taken a lot out of you." Morek said, not realizing himself how tired he was too. Within seconds of each other, Morek and Shadestar passed out, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

*Transition*

Helia awoke to the sound of a horn being blown. She shot out of her bed and began getting dressed. That was the horn signaling an attack. She looked out her window to see that many of the dragons were flying in the direction of the Alpha's Court.

Helia ran out of her house and whistled, Heartbreaker falling down from atop her house and landing beside her. She mounted the big stormcutter and flew to the Great Hall, where many Vikings were filtering inside. She scanned the crowd to find Morek's mother, Taralin, guiding everyone inside.

"Taralin, what's happening?" Helia said, landing beside her. Taralin turned and took a deep breath, she had been woken from her slumber as well.

"Even came back from a scouting mission and saw a flock of dragons attacking the Alpha's Court, the wild dragons are all flying to the aid of their alpha, but we can't go help yet. Morek has disappeared and we can't hope to fight off that other night fury without Shadestar." She said, looking out to the Court. "I just hope he comes back soon."

Helia nodded in agreement. If anyone could help Berk right now, it was Morek. She went inside the Great Hall with the rest of the Vikings, finding Even sitting at a table and looking terrified.

"Even, what did you see?" She asked, walking over to him. Even looked up at her and shuddered.

"There was a bewilderbeast, but that night fury that Morek mentioned was riding on top of it. They didn't attack the Court yet; they look like they're waiting for something." He said. He gave Helia a stern gaze as he said his next words. "Thunderheart can't win this one, not against a bewilderbeast and another night fury."

Helia's eyes widened as she heard these words. The rival flock must be powerful to have such an effect on the dragons in the Stalagmite Forest and surrounding areas. She quickly turned and started to scan the crowd.

"Where's the chief?" She asked Even, but he just shrugged and started looking around the Hall. The crowd of Vikings were mulling about, seemingly lost without a leader.

"Where's Morek?" Helia heard someone ask, turning to find Morek's grandfather Erik standing behind her. She turned and gave him a concerned look.

"I don't know sir, he disappeared." She said, earning widened eyes and a concerned look from Erik.

"I sent him out there…" Erik said, dropping to sit beside Even.

*Transition*

Morek startled out of his slumber when he felt the ground shaking beneath him. He stood up and looked around. Something was going on in the caverns around them.

"Shadestar, wake up, something's happening." He said, bending down to shake Shadestar awake. The night fury huffed and opened his eyes, revealing that they were now an electric blue color.

They both stood and looked at the walls around them, shaking as something large moved through the neighboring caverns.

"Come on Shadestar, we need to get going." Morek said, climbing into Shadestar's saddle. The two took to the air, diving back down the tunnel that they had originally entered from. They continued through the winding tunnels as fast as they could, eventually entering the same cavern they had met the Black Death in.

Morek was surprised to see that the dragon wasn't guarding the tunnel, but as he looked around, he discovered why. Over in the corner of the cavern slumped the Black Death, laying motionless on the ground. Morek and Shadestar flew over, landing in front of the dragon.

Morek was disgusted by what he found. The Black Death was battered and scarred, its wing bent at an odd angle and two large holes dug into its chest.

"They killed it." Morek said, walking forward and laying a hand on the Black Death's snout, which was cold and hard. He clenched his fist and turned to look at Shadestar, who himself was starting to look angry.

"Usurper must pay for this." Morek said, hopping into the saddle. "Let him know that we're coming for him bud."

Shadestar shook his head and growled, rearing back and roaring with all his might. The deafening sound echoed throughout the cavern and beyond, telling the Hidden World that a new Alpha would soon rise.

They took to the air, rocketing towards the Alpha's Court and Usurper's flock. When they exited the entrance to the Caverns Beyond, they saw a terrifying sight.

Usurper stood atop a blood red bewilderbeast, a large flock surrounding them. They stood on one side of the Alpha's Court, while on the other side of the court stood Thunderheart and his much smaller flock.

Morek looked around the cavern and saw that it was devoid of life. All the dragons that weren't fighting had left the caverns by now, leaving it a battlefield for the two rival flocks of dragons.

Morek and Shadestar growled in unison before flying over in between the two flocks and landing on the crystal there. Shadestar turned towards the bewilderbeast and Usurper and glared at his brother.

Usurper seemed amused as he lazily flew over to the crystal, landing in front of his slightly smaller brother. The two night furies exchanged heated stares as Morek continued to try and stall for time. He knew that even with Shadestar's new power, he couldn't take out a bewilderbeast and his brother. Their only hope was that more reinforcements arrived to help out Thunderheart's flock.

After a minute, neither of the night furies had backed down, and Usurper huffed and roared, his flock advancing. Shadestar roared back over his shoulder at the same time, before both night furies took to the air.

Morek's heart seemed to be beating at a thousand beats per minute as Shadestar and Usurper began circling each other in the air. Looking down, Morek saw the two flocks closing in on each other, the bewilderbeast roaring as Thunderheart led his flock into the conflict. The first wave of dragons clashed in the air, flames billowing, talons slashing, and teeth gnashing.

Morek could hardly make sense of it all, the fight down below was utter chaos, but the sheer numbers of Usurper's flock seemed to be overwhelming the more experienced dragons of Thunderheart's flock. Morek turned his attention away from the battle below and looked towards Usurper.

Shadestar and Usurper began charging their plasma blasts, readying to begin their own fight. They charged for a moment, before two plasma shots exploded in the air between them, sending a shockwave throughout the cavern.

They began rocketing through the air, blasting plasma shot after plasma shot at each other. After a few exchanges, it was clear that the two furies were on equal grounds with each other. Morek could only watch from Shadestar's back as they continued to battle ferociously. Judging from the sounds coming from below, the battle wasn't going well.

Suddenly, a loud roar could be heard over on the other side of the cavern, coming from the Fireworm Caverns. Morek turned his head to see another flock of dragons, the Berkian dragons and their riders, flying towards the conflict. At the head of the flock was a large purple stormcutter, ridden by a woman in purple armor that resembled her dragon.

Morek smiled under his helmet. Helia had pulled through, the people of Berk had rallied together with their dragons to come and help Thunderheart. Sitting behind Helia on Heartbreaker's back was Kadil, seeming to shout instructions to the other riders and forming a formation.

Kadil arranged the flock so that the rumblehorns would be up front, acting as battering rams. Behind them were the nadders, acting as the rumblehorns' cleanup crew to grab any dragons the rumblehorns hadn't hit. Behind them were the nightmares and other stoker class dragons.

The flock of Berkian dragons slammed into the rival flock, evening the odds of the battle. With that out of the way, Morek and Shadestar could focus on their fight.

Shadestar and Usurper had begun hovering in midair, and the air started to crackle with electricity as Shadestar and Usurper began their transformations to their Alpha states.

The two black dragons began glowing, Shadestar an electric blue and Usurper a sinister green, their eyes glowing and their bodies arcing electricity. The dragons took a moment to get used to their power before they began flying. Faster and faster they flew, becoming glowing black and green and blue blurs as they rocketed through the air fast enough to cause Morek to start slipping.

Shadestar and Usurper knew that they wouldn't be able to finish this fight with plasma blasts alone, so they began to close the distance. They slammed into each other, attempting to knock the other off balance. At this speed, even the slightest mistake could spell death for the night furies as they would start to careen out of control and slam into the ground.

On one of the exchanges, Usurper slammed into Shadestar's back, throwing Morek into the air. He panicked as he continued to spin in the air. He frantically looked for a place to land and found the furies' nest. He deployed his wings and glided down, landing on the same outcropping he had landed on during his first trip here.

Morek frantically looked around, making sure that there wasn't an enemy dragon nearby. Instead, he found Kadil standing on the opposite part of the nest, watching the two flocks battle. Kadil turned and looked over his shoulder at his cousin.

"Morek, how are the Alpha's doing?" He asked, walking over and looking at the blurs slam into each other. Morek shook his head.

"Not good, Shadestar isn't beg enough to properly knock Usurper off course." Morek said, watching as Shadestar was slammed into again.

"His name isn't Usurper, by the way." Morek heard Kadil say. Morek frowned and turned to look at his cousin. "What did you say?" He asked.

Kadil smiled and unsheathed his saber, inspecting its gleam. "His name is Skywake, young cousin." Kadil said, staring at Morek and lowering his saber. Morek took a step back.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking between Kadil and the battling night furies. Kadil laughed and shook his head.

"I mean, he's my dragon. Isn't that obvious? I knew I chose wisely. He looked like the only one that could take on Thunderheart, and from the looks of it, he's going to kill your night fury too." He said, watching the battle take place. Morek was stunned by his cousin's words, staring at him.

"I can relate to him, you see." Kadil said, beginning to pace. "I was the first-born son of the first-born son, and yet you are taking my rightful place as chief. My father wasn't strong enough to rule Berk, but that doesn't mean I can't. Yet here we are, you about to ascend to the throne and me being put to the side again, like every family in Berk did. They all saw me as my father's son, but I'm not my father's son. I'm me, Kadil, and I will show them all exactly how much stronger I am than my father." Kadil said, turning and lowering his saber at Morek, who raised his hands. "And I'll start with getting rid of you."

Kadil advanced towards Morek, raising his saber in the air. Morek stepped to the side as Kadil swung his saber down at him, punching Kadil in the face and causing him to stagger. "You've been masterminding all of this, haven't you?" Morek asked, stepping away from his cousin.

Kadil wiped the blood off his cheek and smiled. "Yes, it's been very interesting seeing all the pieces fall in place. It's self-indulgent, I admit, but I do love seeing my symphony play itself out." He said as he turned back to Morek. "I'm sorry it had to be this way, dear cousin, but it's the only way the people of Berk will truly accept me as chief. If there had been another way, I would have gladly taken it."

Kadil advanced towards Morek, cautiously this time. "It'll be so sad, the chief and his son died heroically in combat, protecting their home and people from the dragons who sought to take it from them. Fortunately, I am there to take the mantle of responsibility. The hero that tamed the savage alpha from the Caverns Beyond. I will go down in history as a legend." Kadil said, pushing Morek towards the edge of the nest.

Down below, the battle was still raging. "You can't be sure that my father will die." Morek said, earning a laugh from Kadil. "Cousin, you know me, do you really think I don't have a plan for that? Let's just say I had a little help from sympathizers." He said. Morek's eyes widened as he looked down at the battle, but that was a fatal error.

Kadil lunged forward, slashing Morek's shoulder pad open, but he seemingly missed Morek, who ducked out of the way. "Your swordsmanship is sloppy Kadil. You didn't even hit me while my back was turned." Morek said, trying to taunt his cousin. If he could somehow grab Kadil and throw him from the nest, there might still be a chance.

Kadil laughed and shook his head. "I wasn't aiming for you cousin. Like I said, I planned everything, even clipping your wings." He said with a victorious smirk.

Morek looked on his back and found that Kadil's saber had slashed through his wings, effectively crippling his ability to escape. Kadil started to whistle, and Morek gave him a confused look before hearing a sharper whistling sound behind him. Turning sharply, Morek was greeted with the sight of Usurper, or Skywake as Kadil called him, firing a plasma blast at him.

Time seemed to slow, Morek raised his arms to protect himself, Kadil jumped out of the radius of the blast, and Usurper began charging another shot. Morek expected to be killed by the plasma blast, but he was suddenly swept off his feet. In a matter of seconds, Shadestar had out flown Skywake and managed to grab Morek before he was hit. The two continued flying, but Skywake was right behind them.

Kadil smiled. At least this little game would be a little more interesting, but he had prepared for this. Skywake would drive them towards the Breeding Caverns and to the Bottomless pit, where an ambush had been set up. There, they would collect Morek's battered helmet and bring it back for proof that he had died.

Morek and Shadestar continued flying, heading towards the only other cavern that the knew of. The Breeding Caverns were just ahead, and through there was the Bottomless pit, where they could hide from Skywake. Shadestar pumped his wings as hard as he could, but Morek could tell that he was spent. The young night fury was losing speed, and Skywake was gaining on them.

They entered the Breeding Caverns, but there were no dragons in sight, they had all evacuated. They sped past the caverns and entered the large cavern with the Bottomless pit, Morek saw the dark hole as his salvation, but then he saw a flicker out of the corner of his eye.

He turned just in time to see a large monstrous nightmare slam into them, throwing them away from the pit. As Shadestar made his way towards the pit, another dragon attacked from behind. As they were getting crowded, Shadestar made one last ditch effort to save them. He gathered all the remaining energy his ancestors had given him and charged one final plasma blast. He fired it at the cavern's ceiling, rocking the catacombs.

The assaulting dragons quickly dove out of the way, avoiding falling rocks and boulders. One of the boulders slammed into Shadestar, sending dragon and rider careening towards the ground and sending Morek's helmet flying off his head. They slammed into the ground and were in imminent danger of being crushed. As Morek looked around for a solution, he was met with a tunnel that he hadn't seen before, covered by the foliage.

He ushered the weakened Shadestar inside, but just as he was about to enter the cavern, a falling boulder slammed down on his head, knocking him out. The last thing Morek saw before his world went dark were the talons of Shadestar's paw, reaching out to pull him into the tunnel.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm back from having a crazy summer. I'm sorry for not updating this story, but I haven't been able to find the time or the right way to progress the story. Well, all of that is about to change. Prepare yourselves for an awesome journey and thank you all for the support!**

Chapter 11: Still Standing

Through the darkness, he could see a pinprick of light. It had been days, walking aimlessly through the dark, narrow tunnels to who knows where. The only company he had was the black dragon that stood beside him, helping him walk as he limped painfully.

Morek had awoken to darkness, the only light coming from Shadestar's bioluminescent scales. They had been trying to find a way out of the tunnels, but so far had no luck in doing so. He didn't know if it had truly been days, but it certainly felt like it in the dark confines of the cave system.

"We're getting close Shade." Morek said, using his nickname for Shadestar, who rumbled in response. The night fury didn't seem to be injured, being able to walk fine on his own, but Morek was not so lucky. When he had awoken, there had been blood on his face and a searing pain over his right eye. The boulder that had knocked him out had slammed into his eye, and he couldn't get a good look at it to assess the damage in the caves.

As they moved wearily towards the light, Morek began squinting. His eyes had yet to adjust, but now that they were closer, he could tell the light was an orange color, like fire or lava. Warm air wafted in to meet them, a welcome relief from the cold of the cave.

They exited the cave, and Morek had to shield his eyes from the light as he waited for them to adjust. When he finally opened his eyes, he could tell something was wrong. He could still see out of his right eye, but everything was blurred. He tried closing his left eye and getting it to focus, but no matter how hard he tried, his right eye would not respond to his commands. He could barely make out the form of Shadestar standing next to him, even though the night fury was standing right beside him.

Shadestar, noticing his friend's distress, cooed and looked up at him with a worried expression. Morek opened his left eye and smiled down at his best, and currently only, friend.

"Don't worry bud, I'll be fine." Morek said, patting his friend's head as he looked around. His left eye still had perfect vision, thankfully.

They appeared to be in a large cavern that was dominated by a volcanic mountain, lava dripping down and pooling at the bottom of the slopes. They had emerged from a small hole in the side of the cavern wall, a safe distance from the lava. The mountain extended all the way to the top of the cavern and beyond, shocking Morek at how far it seemed to go.

"That thing might even reach the Old World." Morek said, marveling at it. He looked down at Shadestar, examining him to make sure he was alright. Shadestar looked perfectly healthy, if a little worn out from lack of food. Shadestar glanced up at the mountain and warbled, turning Morek's attention to it.

On the highest visible parts of the mountain, Morek spied some fireworms entering through tunnels that weren't spewing lava. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"There must be a nest up there." He said, looking around the cavern. It didn't seem like there were any other exits, and the fireworms didn't come through the tunnel he and Shadestar entered from. "Or a way out." He said.

Turning to Shadestar, he slowly pulled himself into the saddle, wincing as his sore legs rubbed against it. Shadestar gave him one more look over his shoulder before taking off, flying slowly towards the top of the cavern.

They neared the entrance that they saw the fireworms enter and circled around a few times to make sure it was safe to enter. After a few moments, Morek guided Shadestar inside, entering the warmth of the mountain.

As they entered, Morek noticed the light inside the mountain, illuminating the cave they had entered. Fireworm honeycomb patterns dotted the walls of the cave, and the little dragons darted in and out, vigorously working on their home.

Morek's eyes narrowed as he watched the little dragons work. They were much more active than usual fireworms, which meant they either had a new queen, or the hive was preparing for an attack. This was news to Morek. It meant there must be a way out, otherwise these little dragons wouldn't have to worry about an attack.

The two friends continued down the path, heading deeper and higher inside the mountain. The winding path began getting warmer and warmer, heating Morek's armor to uncomfortable levels. As they continue moving, Morek notices a roaring and screeching up ahead. Shadestar growls reflexively, tensing up as they move forward, entering a large room inside the mountain that was covered in fireworms.

Morek and Shadestar paused as they looked forward, staring at a relatively small fireworm queen. The dragon was beautiful and slender, moving around the room and checking on all the fireworms. As she moved, she moved higher up the wall, drawing Morek's eyes to the top of the room, or the lack thereof. They seemed to be situated underneath the mouth of the volcano, opening to the black sky above.

Before Morek could think further on it, he heard a screech, drawing his attention to the queen. She had finally noticed them, preparing to charge them as she scrambled down to the floor, rearing up to her full height. Shadestar growled, crouching into a ready stance.

"Shadestar, we need to go." Morek said, pointing upwards. Shadestar nodded back to him and spread his wings. The fireworm queen shrieked and lunged, but she was no match for Shadestar's speed. He launched into the air, beating his wings as he flew upwards.

They escaped the confines of the volcano, rocketing up into open air. Morek frowned as he looked upwards, there was no ceiling, only an open expanse of darkness, peppered by points of light.

"W-where are we?" He asked, looking back down. They were above an open expanse of land dotted by green. It was surprisingly well illuminated, causing Morek to look up at the source. A bright ball of white was rising above the horizon, illuminating the world with its silver glow.

"The moon…" Morek whispered to himself, taking in the sight. By now, he had realized where he was. He looked back down at Shadestar, who was currently looking down at the island below them.

"We're in the Old World." He said, following Shadestar's gaze. The island they were flying over was approximately ten miles across, dominated by the volcano in the center, which separated two clusters of light. Towns, as Morek recalled. They seemed to be as far away as possible from each other, on opposite ends of the island.

"Bud, we just found an entrance to the Old World…" Morek whispered to Shadestar as they flew, unrestrained by rocky caverns or winding pathways. It was just them, the night sky, and the stars above. "We're home…"


	12. Chapter 12

_**Coming Home**_

_**A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters.**

**This story takes place some generations after How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. It is based on what would have happened if the Vikings of Berk had joined their dragons in the Hidden World and lived alongside them, waiting for humanity to learn to live in peace.**

Chapter 12: The Surface World

Morek scanned the horizon, his eyes used to the darkness. The sea stretched as far as he could see, sea stacks dotting the seascape. As he watched, a dim glow illuminated the horizon out in the distance. He squinted his eyes and nudged Shadestar forward, flying towards the glow. They landed on a sea stack a good distance from the main island and watched as a giant ball of light slowly rose in the sky. The light was so intense that Morek couldn't look at it directly, shielding his eyes from the radiant beams that it produced.

Stories and legends passed down through the generations told tales of the sun, a great ball of light that brought warmth and life to the world. Morek had to admit, he hadn't believed some of those stories, but now that he saw the sun itself, he knew they had been true.

"Look at that Shade, it's the sun." He said, pointing out at the sunrise. Shadestar cooed, but he was cut short by a sharp noise passing just over Morek's head.

Morek turned, following the sound to see an arrow stuck in the sea stack beside him. He turned, scanning the water, and found a floating craft at the base of the sea stack. This must be a boat, or maybe a warship, according to the stories. Men were standing on the sea craft, aiming crossbows at Morek and Shadestar. Those, Morek knew all too well.

"Fire!" One of the men roared, dressed in furs and adorned with shiny chain mail. "The chief will want to see that thing in his menagerie."

A volley of arrows shot towards Morek and Shadestar. Morek acted quickly, ducking in the saddle as Shadestar dove underneath the arrows, careening towards the sea.

"Don't let them get away!" The man roared, causing the others to scramble. In the dim light, Morek and Shadestar had the advantage due to their eyes being used to these conditions.

"Alright bud, plasma blast right at the bottom of that thing." Morek said, pointing at the hull of the fishing vessel. The signature screeching sound of a night fury blast filled the air as the two flew towards the ship. The crew began to panic, some yelling and running below deck.

The hull exploded in a ball of white blue heat, causing the ship to rock on the waves caused by the explosion. Some of the men jumped overboard, but the leader continued screaming orders at the top of his lungs.

"Grab the longboats you fools!" He roared, throwing some of the men towards the smaller boats. Morek and Shadestar flew upwards, away from the sinking ship and into the clouds.

The danger from the ship was almost immediately forgotten as they neared the floating wall of mist. Morek knew from stories passed down through his family that his Grandfather Hiccup had loved spending hours at a time flying through the clouds with his friend Toothless. Now that Morek saw these clouds up close, he could see why they had enjoyed it so much.

There was an ethereal majesty to the clouds, the way they held the sun's rays made it seem like they were rainbows of color. The sky was growing brighter, shifting from a deep purple to a light blue, dotted with white clouds.

The air was so fresh, the breeze from the east seeming to breathe life into him as he smiled and leaned back in the saddle, sitting up to enjoy the view. Shadestar was also enjoying himself, sniffing the air and looking around at all the new sights and sounds.

After a while, Morek noticed Shadestar's wingbeats getting slower, sloppier. He leaned down and stroked the side of the night fury's head.

"We should head down and rest for a while bud." Morek said, pointing over at the other island. Shadestar looked over and growled, not wanting to go.

"Hey, it's the only place that we would have cover to rest." Morek said, smacking the back of Shade's head. The dragon grumbled and banked, gliding over to the base of the volcano that dominated the island's landscape. They landed on a rocky outcropping, just barely below the cover of the trees, yet high enough that no wandering traveler would be able to find them.

"Alright Shade, rest here for a while." He says, hopping off Shadestar and unbuckling the saddle, earning a sigh from Shadestar. Shade turned in a circle, breathing plasma on the ground to heat it up, and laid down, sighing contentedly.

Morek sat on the edge of the outcropping, looking out at all the trees and listening to the sound of the birds and other animals. This was so different from what he was used to. First, there were no dragons around. Second, it was bright. Morek couldn't look upwards without wincing, his eyes refusing to stay open. It was brighter than even the brightest caverns in the Hidden World.

"This place is amazing." Someone said in the distance, causing Morek to start from his thoughts. The voice sounded feminine, and the sound of multiple footsteps followed it in the underbrush below the outcropping.

"Yeah, too bad this place is controlled by the Dormans. If they caught us here, they'd have us jailed for life." Another voice said, this one was male. Both voices sounded young, a little younger than Morek was himself.

"That's only if they catch us though, and there's no way they would be patrolling this early." Another voice said, this one was also male, but he sounded older, probably Morek's age, give or take a year.

Morek stood and looked over the edge of the rock, down at the brush. His foot brushed against one of the pebbles, causing it to fall off the edge, straight towards the voices. He froze as it fell, clattering against the rocks at the base of his hiding spot.

"Shh, did you hear that?" The older male voice said. Everything seemed to freeze, until Morek heard a growl echo behind him. Shadestar had woken up, disturbed by the sound of the intruders. He uncurled and looked at Morek questioningly.

"Something's on that rock!" The girl said, attempting to whisper, but it came out in a high-pitched squeal. Shadestar growled and leaped forward, wings opening as he pounced down towards the attackers.

"Odin's beard!" The younger boy shouted, before Shadestar's screech cut him off, tackling the group to the ground. Morek looked out over the rock and watched the three kids laying prone in front of Shadestar, eyes wide with fear.

The girl had bright blonde hair and green eyes, and her freckled face was slightly chubby, signaling to Morek that she wasn't one to exercise very much. The young man was lanky and tall, but he had very little muscle on him. His black hair fell over his eyes, making it hard to see what he was thinking. However, judging from the way he shakily held the spear in his hands, he was terrified of Shadestar. The leader, the young man who appeared to be Morek's age, was holding a short sword and a shield, trying to look brave. He had brown hair and black eyes, and he appeared to be physically fit, but it was obvious that he wasn't a trained fighter.

Shadestar roared, causing the two younger trespassers to jump and shuffle backwards. The young girl squealed and tried to hide behind the lanky one, but he didn't provide much cover.

"Shadestar, enough." Morek said, revealing himself to the kids. They all turned to look at him as Shadestar lowered his wings and glared at them, snorting smoke.

"W-What in Thor's name is going on?" The leader said, making a move to stand. Shadestar growled warningly at him, hissing at his sword and shield.

"Sorry about him, he just gets a little cranky when he gets woken up from his naps." Morek said, dropping down and landing with a thud on the ground in front of them.

"My name is Morek Haddock, and that there is my friend Shadestar." He finished, gesturing to Shadestar, who huffs and puffs out his chest pridefully. "You guys should probably be a little quieter when you're walking around in the woods."

All three kids looked shocked to see Morek and Shadestar, their eyes moving from one to the other. Morek reached up and pulled off his helmet, revealing his wounded right eye and his pale face.

"Now, who might I ask are all of you?" He says in a friendly tone, sitting down with his helmet in front of him, Shadestar sitting by his side. The three kids looked between each other, before the leader nods and stands up.

"My name is Bolek, this is Feray and Ralek." He says, pointing to the girl and the other boy respectively. "We're from Kenford. And so you know, the entirety of the town won't hesitate to wage war on you again if we don't make it back home." Bolek finished, trying to look imposing.

Morek tilted his head in confusion, looking up at him. "What do you mean wage war on us again? Who is we?" He asked.

Bolek looked taken aback for a moment but continued. "You Dormans of course, who else would we wage war on?" He asked, taking a step forward. Shadestar growled and stood up, causing Bolek to fall backwards on his rear in terror.

"Thanks bud." Morek said, standing up. "And for your information, we aren't 'Dormans,' as you call them. I'm pretty sure they shot at us this morning." Morek said. Shadestar nodded and looked at the other two, huffing at them.

"Um, w-what is that thing?" Feray asked, pointing at Shadestar. Morek looked over at her and gave her a confused look. "Wow, you guys really don't have any of them here, do you?" He asked, looking surprised.

"What are you talking about?" Bolek asked, sitting back up. Morek sighed and gestured to Shadestar. "This is a dragon, a Night Fury to be precise." He said. "And according to my people's legends, dragons are nothing but myths and legends to you."

The three looked between each other, looking confused. "Like the stories the elders told us of giant winged beasts that shot fire from their mouths and ate our livestock?" Ralek said. Bolek nodded. "I think that's exactly what he means."

Morek sighed and shook his head. "That kind of behavior towards dragons is exactly why we went into hiding in the first place." He said. "Well, for your information, dragons are actually quite social creatures, and are often times forced to hunt near humans because they encroach on the dragon's territory." He explained. "Dragons don't want to fight you as much as you don't want to fight them." He finished, petting Shadestar's head, earning a purr from the dragon.

"Take Shadestar here for instance, he just likes flying around and eating fish. He wouldn't do anything to you unless he saw you as a threat to our safety, as you do with that sword in your hand." Morek said, gesturing to the sword that Bolek was holding in his hand. He looked between the sword and Shadestar, seeming to argue with himself until Feray stepped in.

"Drop the sword Bolek, at least then it won't growl at us every time we try to move." She said. Shadestar opened his eyes and glared at Bolek and Ralek, who both wielded weapons in their hands. Together, they both dropped their weapons and kicked them forward.

Almost immediately, Morek felt Shadestar relax as he sat up and viewed these new humans with interest, his eyes back to their normal oval shaped pupils. Shadestar tilted his head to the side and moved forward towards the humans, who all moved back.

"Now, let me teach you a thing or two about dragons." Morek said, standing up and stretching out his arms. "Welcome to dragon training."


End file.
